Progressive MEPs visited an external detention centre in light of the recent Return regulation vote, but found unjustified limits to their inspections
Gaia Neiman
MEPs from the left-leaning Greens and European Free Alliance (EFA) faced difficulty accessing Italy’s offshore detention facilities in Albania on Monday (29 June), with some staff members denied entry by Italian authorities on site.
The European lawmakers were later barred from inspecting living facilities and cells of the detention premises at Gjadër. Dutch Green MEP Anna Strolenberg said they were met with “excuses” when they attempted to gain access.
“We brought in two people that work with us on this topic, not in the European parliament but outside. I have done that before also the last time I went. This time some of them got refused,” she said.
“They didn’t want us to give us any explanation why they couldn’t enter,” she said, adding the Italian police on site had obstructed access.
Strolenberg said the MEPs had made the journey to Albania to understand whether the offshore centre would be used as a return hub under the newly voted EU return regulations, only to find that it would remain a pre-removal centre for now.
“But I’m a bit skeptical on whether this is going to change,” said Strolenberg.
Italian law applies on the territory occupied by the facility, which was formally envisaged for asylum processing now solely operating as a detention centre for those awaiting deportation, yet “it was clear they were trying to obstruct us from going in,” the MEP said.
MEPs were then denied direct access to the detainees in their living spaces, again with no clear justification.
“Many of them arrived as unaccompanied minors and have lived in Italy for ten years and suddenly they’ve been moved to an overseas camp. Today, I met a boy who had cut his own arm and many have attempted suicide,” said Strolenberg.
Often Italian speaking, many face a confusing limbo without many explanations, and according to the visiting MEPs, some are even denied the opportunity to formally request asylum.
Visiting MEPs saw signs of self-harm on some detainees, and noted that suicide attempts were not unusual at the centre.
“This system created under the Italy-Albania deal clearly isn’t working and we need to ensure that this doesn’t become the model for EU-funded detention centres,” said Dutch MEP Tineke Strik, also the Greens’ Coordinator in the European Committee on Civil Liberties.
After failing a number of legal challenges, the facility at Gjadër has come under scrutiny for its several hundred million euros in running costs, mounting up to seven times what would be spent for an equivalent facility back home, according to a study by the charity ActionAid Italy last July.
