Brussels, 16/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 13 May, Amnesty International criticised France's policy vis-à-vis refugees, asylum-seekers, the Roma and Tunisian immigrants. Unveiling its 2011 annual report, Amnesty International regretted that like in 2010 and previous years, France has focused far more in 2011 on immigration controls rather than protecting the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and immigrants, explained the deputy chair of Amnesty France, Francis Perrin. He criticised the way the French government had adopted the attitude of looking in on itself vis-à-vis the Tunisian immigrants who have been arriving since the beginning of the year, pointing out that the Lisbon Treaty included solidarity mechanisms and a fair sharing of responsibility for dealing with the arrival of immigrants.
Amnesty said it was concerned about the marginalising of the Roma, of whom forced deportations were carried out and who were sent back to the border in 2010 despite the cancellation of a circular on evacuation of Roma encampments sent out in August 2010.
The French government has been criticised in recent weeks both domestically and by the Italian government for its policy towards Tunisian immigrants who landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa and travelled to France when granted temporary residence papers and official travel documents by the Italian authorities. Paris stepped up police border controls along the border with Italy, refusing to recognise the Italian travel documents and sending many Tunisians back to Italy. The ensuing diplomatic spat between France and Italy led them to call on 26 April for a rewriting of the Schengen rules. On 29 April, the European Commission demanded explanations from France about how it controlled its borders with Italy. (S.P./transl.fl)