Opposition lawmakers and activists in Italy have shared a report highlighting a series of dire conditions in certain pre-repatriation centers (CPR). The document, drafted by the organization Tavolo Asilo e Immigrazione, which consists of 40 Italian associations advocating migrant rights, says that about 500 people are affected.
The report filed by the 40 associations highlighted eights CPRs in which condition was "shocking," according to its own assessment.
It singled out widespread prescription of psychotropic drugs, numerous suicide attempts and signs of self-harm on part of roughly 500 residents of eight pre-removal centers (CPR) in Italy as the worst conditions it had encountered.
The reports said in particular that the number of suicide attempts recorded at CPRs was "impressive," and that these were "normalized by management and minimized as mere simulation."
The report also said that detainees appeared at times disoriented, and that they weren't entirely aware of their rights, and noted that some people were seen to be in mental distress or had conditions that were reportedly not being treated adequately.
Reported lack of safeguards
Tavolo Asilo e Immigrazione also denounced the fact that the inspections at the CPRs across Italy were carried out with great difficulty encountered by activists and Members of Parliament belonging to opposition parties, including the Democratic Party (PD), Five-Star Movement, Greens and Italian Left.
Fabrizio Coresi of Action Aid, which is one of the 40 associations that are part of Tavolo Asilo e Immigrazione, said that increasing privatization of the centers' management was "risky because the public administration is relieved of all responsibility."
He added that residents include "people who have not committed a crime coming from various parts of the world, mostly from North Africa, from Libya and in particular from Tunisia. We have discovered that some people were illegitimately detained, like asylum seekers."
The dossier itself denounced that the "guarantee of safeguards" was "often absent or only formal."
Members of the organizations had reportedly carried out inspections on the eight facilities together with opposition lawmakers on Monday, April 15.
Association members and lawmakers had visited the CPRs of Gradisca d'Isonzo (Gorizia), Macomer (Nuoro), Milan, Rome, Palazzo San Gervasio (Potenza), Bari, Restinco (Brindisi), Caltanissetta.