11/01/2010 Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Strasbourg, 11.01.2009 – Italy and Europe must learn lessons from the “cauldron of racist violence, xenophobia and exploitation” that boiled over in the Italian town of Rosarno over the weekend, according to Corien Jonker (Netherlands, EPP/CD), Chair of the Migration Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
“The fire under the cauldron was lit by the drive-by shootings of migrants with air-guns,” said Mrs Jonker. “The causes were cumulative, however, with exploitation of both regular and irregular migrants, involvement of criminal gangs and xenophobia, leading ultimately to the riots, injuries, death and the transfer of a large number of the migrants to reception centres away from Rosarno.”
Mrs Jonker emphasised that Europe has a responsibility towards its migrants whether they are in a regular or irregular situation. “Irregular migrants have rights which include the right to human dignity, physical integrity as well as safety and freedom from racism and discrimination. They also share with us all the right not be exploited. States cannot put their heads in the sand and say ‘these persons do not exist, or they should not be here’. These persons are here and while they are here in Europe, we all have a responsibility towards them.”
She also urged the authorities, in the aftermath of the riots, to take a humane approach to the migrants, who should not find themselves in the fire after the boiling cauldron. “Some of the migrants may face expulsion because of their irregular situation, some may have asylum claims, some have humanitarian claims. The authorities need to take all these considerations into account in dealing with the aftermath of this unhappy episode.”