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Letter to the Board and MPs of the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty


by Gabriella Friso (Radical Party member and member of the board of the radical association Certi Diritti)
The last Congress of the NRPTT, held in Rome in December 2011, approved a recommendation of mine addressing the issue of incoming refugees to Italy from Libya:
Considering what is taking place in these days and the absence of the government on the matter, I think this is the appropriate time to intervene and ask the government to issue a permit on humanitarian grounds, similar to the one released to refugees form Tunisia.

As director of the Office for the Recognition of Rights of the association Les Cultures in the city of Lecco, I'm personally following 39 of the 119 asylum-seekers who were brought to this province. Only 9 of them were granted protection, while others have challenged that refusal. Unfortunately, when the commission analyses the case on the basis of the persecution in the country of origin, it does so according to the principles of the Geneva Convention, which doesn’t take into account the war in Libya.

Many of them were forced on boats by the military, after the beatings and after they their belongings stolen by the military. Many of them are environmental refugees and therefore their demands for protection are rejected. They are considered as refugees persecuted for race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. The worst thing is that without rights, they will remain in Italy as illegal immigrants. I am also in contact with a lawyer from Turin, Anna Brambilla, for ASGI (Association Studi Giuridici per l’Immigrazione). She is monitoring the situation and she can confirm any bad news coming from every province. In some cities refugees are not even assisted with any legal help.

Can we think of some sort of action to support the request to release of permits on humanitarian grounds? I'm available for any further information you may need.

Thanks
Gabriella Friso

See attached documentation