Alvaro Gil - Robles

Council of Europe

Commissioner for Human Rights

Rome, 7^th October 2004

The signing NGOs, alarmed by the ongoing deportation of potential asylum seekers and migrants from the Island of Lampedusa to Libya call on you to intervene with the Italian Government and possibly to visit Lampedusa and the centres where these people are detained until they are deported.

No correct measures for identification are applied and the people have no access to a correct individual asylum procedure. Such a deportation procedure must be considered mass deportation. Further on, many of these people may risk the non-respect of their basic human rights in Libya.

In addition, there is a very serious and concrete risk that these persons are expelled from Libya – state not party to the Geneva Refugee Convention – to their home countries where they may face threat to life and personal liberty and where they may be exposed to torture and inhuman treatment. We believe that Italy’s actions might raise important questions under Article 4 Protocol n. 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Articles 3 and 19 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as under Article 3 of the Geneva Refugee Convention, Articles 19 and 21 of the EU Fundamental Rights Charta and Article 26 of the International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights.

In light of the fact that deportation is going on and according to an announcement of the Italian Government will continue further, your urgent response would be most welcome.

Yours sincerely.

Amnesty International - Italia

Consiglio Italiano per i Rifugiati

Federazione delle Chiese Evangeliche

in Italia - Servizio Rifugiati e Migranti

Italian Consortium of Solidarity

Medicins Sans Frontieres -Mission Italie