During the question time of the Chamber of Deputies on October 23, Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani claimed UNHCR was involved in the identification of migrants in Italian centers recently opened in Albania. The UN agency has denied any such role.
The UN's refugee agency has denied any role in identification procedures for the migrants taken to Italian centers in Albania after an Italian minister claimed otherwise.
"Activities for the identification of migrants eligible for border procedures in Albania was carried out onboard the pre-selected Navy ship hub Libra by a team composed of seven linguistic-cultural mediators, healthcare personnel of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), as well as a police official assisted by three operators and UNHCR representatives," said Minister for Parliamentary Relations Luca Ciriani in the question time of an October 23 session of Italy's Chamber of Deputies.
"The operations were carried out after the rescue in international waters of 79 migrants, of whom 16 met requirements for the transfer to Albania based on the guide for the detection of vulnerabilities drawn up by the interior ministry, " he continued.
UNHCR subsequently issued a statement clarifying that it is involved in monitoring the Italy-Albania accord but not in identifying migrants.
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Minister outlines procedures in Italy and Albania
Ciriani added: "The migrants underwent a careful medical examination by IOM healthcare personnel with full respect for their privacy and were interviewed individually in order to facilitate the finding of any sort of vulnerability, including of a psychological nature."
"During the sailing" of the naval vessel, he continued, "migrants were provided with both healthcare assistance onboard and detailed information in languages they understand on the procedures applied and their rights, in part thanks to the presence onboard of three IOM linguistic-cultural mediators. The migrants were also provided with thermal blankets, warm meals prepared onboard the ship, which has a hangar with an area equipped for rest and with washroom facilities."
The minister noted that, "on arrival in Albania, after authorization from the healthcare personnel onboard, the migrants were disembarked and healthcare screening and identification procedures were started at the hotspot. During this phase, two Bangladeshi nationals, contrary to what had been found onboard the Libra, said that they were minors. Two other Egyptian migrants, following medical examinations, were found to be unfit for life in a restricted community, confirming the accuracy of the checks carried out."
"For these reasons," he concluded, "the four foreigners, assisted by an IOM mediator, were taken to Italy and inserted into the reception system."
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UNHCR clarification in a statement
UNHCR reacted to the Italian minister's statement by noting that, in relation to the Italy-Albania agreement, the agency is involved in "independently monitoring it but has no role in its implementation."
The UN refugee agency stressed that its personnel will be conducting "ad hoc missions to observe the various phases of the process and monitor the identification, screening, and vulnerability assessment procedures, as well as the treatment of the people transferred and the conditions of the asylum seekers in the centers".
This role, it stressed, "does not include any identification activities" and is limited to its mandate and specific responsibilities as part of the 1951 Refugee Convention signed in Geneva.
UNHCR added that the monitoring will initially last three months, after which the agency will make its assessments and recommendations available to the public and government.
Additionally, it stressed that UNHCR had not been involved in the negotiation and development of the agreement and that it conducts the monitoring with funds from sources not involved in the agreement.