US embassy cable - 02ROME5595

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 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  05595  01 OF 02  181603Z 
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, IT 
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