IMMIGRATION: EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN INTERIOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005595

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/WE AND DRL/IL
DOL FOR ILAB/BRUMFIELD, LEVINTOW

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SMIG ELAB PGOV SMIG ELAB PGOV IT ITPREL
SUBJECT: IMMIGRATION: EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN INTERIOR
MINISTERS LAUNCH NEW ACTION PLAN
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 05595 01 OF 02 181603Z

REFTELS: A) ROME 4737 B) ROME 3244


1. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.

2.(U) INTERIOR MINISTERS FOR THE "ADRIATIC-IONIAN" REGION
ANNOUNCED A NEW ACTION PLAN TO COMBAT CLANDESTINE
IMMIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING AT THE END OF A ONE-DAY
MINISTERIAL IN LECCE NOVEMBER 13. THE ACTION PLAN WAS
SIGNED BY MINISTERS FROM ITALY, ALBANIA, BOSNIA, CROATIA,
THE FRY, GREECE AND SLOVENIA; THE MACEDONIAN AND BULGARIAN
MINISTERS DID NOT SIGN BUT ASSOCIATED THEMSELVES WITH THE
PLAN'S INITIATIVES. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMISSION AND
EU PRESIDENT DENMARK ALSO ATTENDED. TURKEY WAS, IN THE VIEW
OF THE ITALIAN MEDIA, "NOTICEABLY ABSENT," BUT INTERIOR VICE-
MINISTER MANTOVANO COUNTERED BY POINTING TO THE RECENT
TURKISH ELECTIONS AND ABSENCE OF A NEW CABINET. MANTOVANO
UNDERSCORED THE GOOD COOPERATION ITALY HAD ENJOYED FROM
TURKEY ON CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION UP TO DATE.

3.(U) UNDER THE "ALERT AND REACTION" PLAN, THE SIGNATORY
COUNTRIES COMMITTED TO:

-- CONDUCT JOINT BORDER AND MARITIME INTERDICTION PATROLS
(IN ACCORDANCE WITH RESPECTIVE NATIONAL LEGISLATION),
CONCENTRATING ON AREAS OF HIGH TRAFFIC;
-- EXCHANGE BORDER POLICE AND OTHER PERSONNEL AT PORTS AND
AIRPORTS HEAVILY USED BY CLANDESTINE IMMIGRANTS AS
EMBARKATION OR TRANSIT POINTS;
-- ESTABLISH PROCEDURES TO INTERDICT AND RETURN VESSELS
ENGAGED IN TRAFFICKING AND CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION TO THEIR
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PAGE 03 ROME 05595 01 OF 02 181603Z
PORTS OF ORIGIN
-- ADOPT MEASURES TO ACCELERATE IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES
FOR UNDOCUMENTED ILLEGALS IN ORDER TO SPEED THEIR
REPATRIATION FROM DESTINATION COUNTRIES. ALTHOUGH THE
PROCEDURES TO BE EMPLOYED WERE NOT SPECIFIED, ITALIAN
INTERIOR MINISTER PISANU SUGGESTED FINGERPRINTING EXPELLEES,
A PROPOSAL THAT HAS GENERATED STRONG OPPOSITION FROM THE
ITALIAN LEFT.
-- PERIODICALLY ASSESS, VIA THE ADRIATIC-IONIAN INITIATIVE'S
ROTATING PRESIDENCY, SIGNATORIES COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENTING
THE VARIOUS MEASURES.

4.(U) THE MINISTERS ALSO PLEDGED TO PROMPTLY IMPLEMENT
EXISTING ANTI-TRAFFICKING AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION
ACCORDS. PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MINISTERS AGREED TO
IMPLEMENT EXISTING READMISSION ACCORDS (UNDER WHICH
EMBARKATION COUNTRIES AGREE TO TAKE BACK SOME OR ALL OF
THEIR NATIONALS EXPELLED FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION) AND, WHERE
CURRENTLY LACKING, TO NEGOTIATE NEW MEASURES WITH OTHER
SIGNATORIES AND "NEIGHBORING THIRD COUNTRIES." PISANU
POINTED TO ITALY'S ACCORD WITH ALBANIA AS A MODEL, NOTING
THAT IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS "NOT ONE DINGHY, NOT ONE
PROSTITUTE" HAD ARRIVED IN ITALY FROM ALBANIA. INSTEAD,
ITALY NOW RECEIVES ONLY WORKERS OR BUSINESSMEN VISITING FOR
LEGITIMATE TRADE.

5.(U) THE ACTION PLAN MARKED A NEW AND MORE ADVANCED PHASE
OF COOPERATION AMONG THE COUNTRIES IN THE ADRIATIC-IONIAN
AREA, PISANU ASSERTED, ONE THAT SHOULD SWIFTLY IMPROVE
INTERDICTION OF CLANDESTINES EN ROUTE AND, FOR THOSE
SUBSEQUENTLY CAUGHT IN DESTINATION COUNTRIES, SPEED
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REPATRIATION.

6.(U) NOT EVERYONE AGREED WITH PISANU'S ASSESSMENT. A
MODEST GROUP OF PROTESTORS (ESTIMATES RANGED FROM 3,000 AND
5,000) VIED FOR MEDIA ATTENTION BY ORGANIZING A
'COUNTERSUMMIT' TO PROTEST THE BERLUSCONI GOVERNMENT'S
IMMIGRATION POLICY, CONCENTRATING ON THE RECENTLY-ENACTED
BOSSI-FINI LEGISLATION (REF A). "UNDER BOSSI-FINI, WE ARE
ALL CLANDESTINE IMMIGRANTS," ASSERTED ONE BANNER DISPLAYED
OUTSIDE THE MINISTERIAL VENUE.

7.(SBU) THE LECCE ACCORD EMPHASIZES THE BERLUSCONI
GOVERNMENT'S PREFERRED TOOLS FOR COMBATTING ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION: TOUGH INTERDICTION AND ENFORCEMENT MEASURES
COUPLED WITH A LEGAL IMMIGRATION SYSTEM CENTERED PRIMARILY
ON EMPLOYMENT. A JUST-CONCLUDED "REGULARIZATION," UNDER
WHICH EMPLOYERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO REGISTER THEIR ILLEGAL
WORKERS, MOVED SOME 700,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (OR SOME
FORTY-SIX PERCENT OF THE ESTIMATED 1.5 MILLION ILLEGALS IN
ITALY) INTO LEGAL STATUS. ITALY HAS ALREADY CONCLUDED OVER
TWENTY READMISSION ACCORDS (INCLUDING WITH VIRTUALLY EVERY
COUNTRY REPRESENTED IN LECCE),OFFERING THESE COUNTRIES
HIGHER QUOTAS FOR LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS A REWARD FOR THEIR
COOPERATION IN PREVENTING CLANDESTINE DEPARTURES AND IN
ACCEPTING REPATRIATED ILLEGALS. LABOR MINISTRY CONTACTS TELL
US THEY ARE DISCUSSING A SIMILAR ACCORD WITH THE
PHILIPPINES, SOURCE OF MANY DOMESTIC CARE-GIVERS. THEY ARE

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ7558

PAGE 01 ROME 05595 02 OF 02 181603Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 CA-01 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00
CTME-00 DODE-00 ITCE-00 ANHR-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00
EB-00 EXME-00 E-00 UTED-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01
TEDE-00 INR-00 INSE-00 ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OCS-03 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00
STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 VO-03 PMB-00 DSCC-00
PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /016W
-------------- 0A82A7 181618Z /38
R 181419Z NOV 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6963
INFO DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005595

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/WE AND DRL/IL
DOL FOR ILAB/BRUMFIELD, LEVINTOW

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SMIG ELAB PGOV SMIG ELAB PGOV IT ITPREL
SUBJECT: IMMIGRATION: EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN INTERIOR
MINISTERS LAUNCH NEW ACTION PLAN

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 05595 02 OF 02 181603Z
ALSO PLANNING TALKS WITH BUCHAREST TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE
STEADY INFLUX OF ORPHANED ROMANIAN CHILDREN.

8.(SBU) COMMENT: THE ACCORD SHOULD HELP THE BERLUSCONI
GOVERNMENT FRAME ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AS ONE OF THE
CENTERPIECES OF ITS EU PRESIDENCY NEXT YEAR. ITALIAN
OFFICIALS HAVE LONG LAMENTED WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS THE
RELUCTANCE OF NORTHERN MEMBER-STATES (FAR REMOVED, IN THEIR
EYES, FROM THE IMMEDIACY AND MAGNITUDE OF THE PHENOMENON) TO
SANCTION TOUGHER ENFORCEMENT AGAINST CLANDESTINE
IMMIGRATION. THIS ACCORD LAYS OUT, IN PLAIN VIEW FOR THE
WIDER EU TO SEE, THE ITALIANS' PREFERRED TOOLS FOR
ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. WE EXPECT TO SEE THE BERLUSCONI
GOVERNMENT REACHING INTO THE SAME TOOLBOX NEXT YEAR AS IT
ATTEMPTS TO PUSH THE EU TO ADOPT A TOUGHER, MORE
COMPREHENSIVE 'SOLUTION' TO THE PHENOMENON.

SKODON

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002ROME05595 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED