WRITTEN QUESTION P-1110/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Freedom of movement in Italy for unidentifiable immigrants.
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/211 the directive should be revised in order to fill this gap. Will the Should this indeed be the case, Commission therefore propose an updated, revised version of the directive on the establishment of European works councils in the case of company mergers? Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (17 April 2000) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the reply it gave to his oral question H-0238/00 during question time at Parliamentís March I 2000 part-session (1). (1) Debates of the European Parliament (March I 2000). (2000/C 303 E/244) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1110/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission Subject: Freedom of movement in Italy for unidentifiable immigrants (4 April 2000) On 6 March 2000 the Italian Ministry of the Interior issued a circular to all police headquarters and border control points suggesting that they should not detain non-Community citizens of national or ethnic origins for which, on the basis of past experience, repatriation is likely to prove unsuccessful because of the lack of cooperation on the part of the diplomatic authorities of their presumed countries of origin in seeking to establish their identity during the period for which they can be kept in the temporary detention centres specially set up to house unauthorised immigrants (immigrants who are illegal, without identity documents or awaiting repatriation). The provision refers in particular to immigrants of Yugoslav, Algerian, Ecuadorian, Iraqi and Turkish nationality and to Kurds. In other words, the circular authorises the free movement of illegal and áunidentifiableí in breach inter alia of the Napolitano-Turco law, which is supposed to regulate immigration. The result is that in practice Italy is applying the principle of free movement for immigrants unable to produce identity documents and unwilling to divulge their identity. immigrants, Can the Commission answer the following: 1. Is it aware of this provision? 2. Has it considered the effects that application of this provision will have on neighbouring Member States which have signed the Schengen Agreement? 3. Does it think that these proposals comply with the Schengen Agreement? 4. If not, will it propose that Italy be suspended from the agreement in order to safeguard the rights of Member States with regard to controlling immigration within their territory? 5. Does it not think that ill-judged provisions of this kind help to foster xenophobic sentiments among the population? Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission (19 April 2000) The Commission has no knowledge of the facts referred to by the Honourable Member. It has asked the Member State concerned for information and will inform the Honourable Member of its findings