The closure of the Italian ports for arriving migrant boats for the period of the coronavirus emergency must not infringe on asylum seekers' right to access protection, Federico Fossi, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Italy, has told Sputnik
GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th April, 2020) The closure of the Italian ports for arriving migrant boats for the period of the coronavirus emergency must not infringe on asylum seekers' right to access protection, Federico Fossi, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Italy, has told Sputnik.
Late on Tuesday, the Italian ministers of interior, foreign affairs, transport and health signed a decree ruling that for the entire period of the national health emergency caused by the spread of COVID-19 the country's ports do not meet the necessary requirements to be classified as a "Place of Safety," which is necessitated by the Hamburg Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) for rescue operations performed by vessels under a foreign flag outside of the Italian SAR area. The decree effectively bans migrant boats from docking.
"Regarding the measures announced by the Italian authorities, UNHCR is calling that restrictions on entry, travel and freedom of movement in Italy as a result of the COVID19 outbreak will ensure that persons fleeing war and persecution have access to protection. In general, while public health measures may not specifically target persons seeking international protection, they could have far-reaching consequences for them," Fossi said.
Such measures, which may entail a health screening, testing and quarantine of persons seeking international protection upon entry, "should not result in denial of an effective opportunity to seek asylum or result in refoulement," he continued.
"So far this year almost 2,800 persons were rescued and disembarked or landed spontaneously in southern Italy, including the island of Lampedusa. As every year, the pace of arrivals is mostly influenced by weather conditions and it doesn't appear the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy had a major role in halting the flow through the Mediterranean," Fossi said.
Italy has had 135,586 COVID-19 cases in total up to now. There have been 17,127 deaths caused by the disease, which is the highest official death toll in the world. However, the growth in numbers of new patients and new deaths has been declining over the past days.
