Italy Continues Shipboard Detention of Hundreds of Tunisians

Several hundred Tunisian migrants continue to be detained on board two ships in the Palermo harbour.  Some of the migrants have been removed from the ships and relocated to reception centres or repatriated to Tunisia.  The group of 220 migrants who were transferred by a third ship to Cagliari, Sardinia were moved to the migrant reception centre at Elmas, near Cagliari.  Acting in response to a complaint made by members of civil society, the public prosecutor of Palermo opened a preliminary investigation pertaining to possible violations of law in connection with the ongoing shipboard detention of the migrants.  Professor Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo, Faculty of Law of Palermo, is quoted by news reports as questioning whether there is any legal authority to detain migrants on board ships.  Several local politicians who were allowed to board the ships and observe conditions reported that conditions were fine.  Adnkronos News reports that the ships that have been used to detain the Tunisians for the past week have been optioned for lease by the Interior Ministry through 31 December.

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