Brussels, 13/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the visit by the vice-president of the European Commission to Lampedusa, Amnesty International called on the European Union, on Thursday 12 March, to bring pressure to bear on Italy to ensure that human rights are not violated on the small Italian island. Commissioner Jacques Barrot is to visit Rome, Lampedusa and Malta on 13 and 14 March, to verify the reception conditions for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. In a letter to the Commission, Amnesty expresses its very great concern regarding the treatment of asylum seekers and migrants in Lampedusa, particularly in the wake of the decree issued by the Italian Home Affairs Minister in January. "Italy's decision to hold migrants and asylum seekers on Lampedusa whilst their dossiers are being processed, rather than transferring them to the continent, has had a serious impact on human rights", said Nicolas Beger, the director of the European office of Amnesty International. "The current situation on Lampedusa is hindering the construction of a genuine European space of justice, liberty and security based on full respect of the fundamental rights", he added. In this context, the NGO calls on Mr Barrot to put pressure on the Italian government to re-establish the system for the transfer of migrants and asylum seekers to the continent, granting them full procedural guarantees and access to legal assistance. It also calls for expulsion procedures to be carried out in full respect of the rights of the people in question. Early in March, five GUE/NGL MEPs put a question to the European Commission regarding the detention centres for migrants on the island of Lampedusa, Italy. Amongst other things, the MEPs called on the Commission to verify that the conditions in two migrants' centres on Lampedusa fulfill the requirements of the European directives on hosting. (B.C./trans.fl)