The Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is ready to propose a project to create measures for migrant repatriation. Five million euros are earmarked for the project which is financed by the interior ministry's 2014-2020 Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (FAMI).
The region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) in northwestern Italy will participate directly in financing the government's 2014-2020 Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (FAMI). In the region, the money will go to local police service, security, and immigration policies, in order to create assisted voluntary repatriation measures.
The regional government made the decision on Friday, September 27, based on a proposal by Security Councillor Pierpaolo Roberti. Roberti presented the proposal to the Italian Interior Ministry. The new proposal has a budget of five million euros and will be financed by the EU between 2019-2022.
Assisted voluntary repatriation and reintegration
The regional government said in a statement that the decision came following a meeting in Trieste with Michele Di Bari, head of the department for civil liberties and immigration; and the four prefects of the FVG region. Additional partners participating in the project will be prefectures operating on the regional territory, non-profit private law organizations, local entities, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Italian National Institution for Microcredit.
The goals of the project are assisted voluntary repatriation for non-EU citizens and the creation of an experimental model which can be replicated in other territories on a national level. For those who remain, the region is hoping to create sustainable jobs and provide candidates access to microcredit where possible.
5,526 asylum seekers arrive in FVG
A total of 5,526 asylum seekers entered Friuli Venezia Giulia between the start of 2019 and mid-September. Of these, 3,509 were intercepted by law enforcement, while 2,017 made their asylum request after entering. Trieste prefect Valerio Valenti said migrants who come to the region are primarily from Afghanistan and Pakistan, via the Balkan route. In terms of hospitality, Valenti said Trieste is using a "dispersion" solution, while Udine holds migrants in large accommodation centers.
The Territorial Commission for Recognition of International Protection, which examines the applications, currently has 1,710 applications to review and 1,473 new ones formalized; 1,850 have already been examined.
Slovenia stopped 58 migrants over the past weekend
Meanwhile,some 58 migrants were stopped over the past weekend at different locations along the coast while they were trying to cross the border with Croatia between Koper, Ilirska Bistrica, and Kozina.
Police said in a statement released on Monday that they had also stopped a Slovenian national, a 23-year-old Italian and a Tunisian national with an Italian stay permit in two separate incidents on suspicion of organizing the journey and accompanying the migrants.
Most of the migrants stopped were Pakistani and Afghan nationals. Fourteen of them, including seven minors, have already requested asylum in Slovenia.