Ref. Ares(2015)2832075 - 06/07/2015
Ref. Ares(2018)3430863 - 28/06/2018
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL MIGRATION AND HOME AFFAIRS
Directorate E – Migration and Security Funds
Unit E1 – Programming
Brussels,
Subject:
Observations on the third version of the multiannual national
programme under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund for
Italy
Dear
Thank you for the amended version of the national programme under the Asylum,
Migration and Integration Fund for Italy
, submitted on 25 June 2015
, following the
observations made by the Commission on the 22 June 2015.
Please be informed that the Commission has initiated the approval process of the national
programme. However, before proceeding to the next step of the formal approval by the
Commission, a few outstanding issues still have to be addressed.
We would therefore like to invite you to take into account the additional observations and
kindly ask you to modify the draft programme accordingly.
In order to proceed smoothly with the final stage of the approval process, an amended
version of the programme has to be submitted as soon as possible.
Kindly note however, that the programme could still be subject to modification
throughout the final stage of the approval process.
Yours sincerely,
(e-Signed)
Head of Unit
Encl.: Annex: Observations on the proposed national programme
Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.
ANNEX: Observations on the proposed national programme
General
The national programme is now practically ready for approval, with only two pending issues still
needing to be addressed.
SO1 – Asylum
1.
We note that, although reference to fingerprinting is made in the baseline situation, no
specific reference to such important activity continues to be made neither in the presentation
of the national strategy for asylum nor in the respective national objective. Considering its
relevance, in particular in the current context in which fingerprinting has been identified as one
of the major issues to be addressed by Italy, we believe that a clear reference to such action
should be made in the relevant sections of the national programme. As discussed, we would
therefore propose that, when describing Italy’s strategy under SO 1 (Asylum), the text reads like
this:
-
"
L’identificazione dei cittadini di Paesi terzi di nuovo ingresso e dei richiedenti asilo
mediante rilevamento delle impronte digitali, verrà assicurata sia nell’ambito delle attività
ordinarie garantite dalle competenti Autorità nazionali, sia attraverso gli interventi previsti dal
Fondo Sicurezza Interna (OS2-OS5)."
SO3 – Return
2.
In the current context in which the EU aims to increase also its effectiveness as
regards return measures, it is particularly important to demonstrate that progress is being made
in improving return rates especially from those countries from which potential beneficiaries of
international protection will be relocated. The Commission is therefore encouraging EU
Member States faced with high migratory pressure at their borders to take the necessary
measures, including by mobilising the necessary funding, to ensure the availability of means not
only to implement voluntary and forced returns, but also to ensure the availability of enough
places in pre-removal/detention centres for returnees. We invite Italy to include in its national
programme for AMIF also measures to strengthen its national infrastructure of pre-removal
centres, notably by identifying clearly such measures as a funding priority under the relevant
national objective of the programme. As discussed, we recommend Italy to therefore revise its
national programme along the following agreed lines:
- Add to the programme in the section presenting the strategy for SO3 (Return) a clear
mention to the national objective of having within a short deadline (2015/2016) 1500 pre-
removal places fully operational, explaining also that respective funding will be provided
through national budget and AMIF;
- Include in the relevant section of the programme (NO1 -
Accompanying Measures) of SO3
(
Return) an action concerning the support to the refurbishment/renovation and running of
pre-removal centres for returnees, with the respective expected result/desired outcome;
- Add a minimum of 5M€ to this NO1, to cover those costs (by reducing budget of other SO)
- Include such specific action in the indicative time-plan of the programme.
Also in the context of the current discussions on plus effective return, Italy may want to
consider the possibility of increasing in the programme the target number of returns (and
possibly increasing also the budget for returns by reducing budget of other SO).
We believe that by doing so the programme is better equipped to adequately support Italy in its
efforts to address the challenges posed by the extremely high migratory pressure at its borders.
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