Brussels, 15/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - Green MEPs have criticised the European Commission's head-in-the-sand policy as Italy drastically ratchets up its anti-illegal immigration policy. On Wednesday 13 May, the Italian parliament, under pressure from the extreme Right, passed a controversial law on domestic security and immigration that will make Italy one of the toughest countries in Europe on illegal immigration. This law follows on closely form the sending back to Libya, last week, of 500 migrants under the terms of the Italy-Libya treaty of friendship that was signed in August 2008. “In defiance of its very raison d'être, the Commission failed to analyse the text of the agreement in the light of the Treaties. And now the most effective thing it can find to do is to say nothing on the issue,” lamented Hélène Flautre (Greens/EFA, France), who chairs the European Parliament human rights sub-committee. “We call on the Commission to assume its responsibilities and refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the Communities so that it can rule on the conformity of the Italy-Libya treaty of friendship and the anti-illegal immigration law with the European Treaties,” she added. “In allowing Italy to be the spearhead of a European Union that illegally outsources administration of its borders to dictatorships, the European Commission has forgotten that the principle of non-refoulement is at the very heart of the law that it is bound to see is upheld,” she said. Chairman of the European Parliament civil liberties committee Gérard Deprez (ALDE, Belgium) has written to Commissioner Jacques Barrot with precise questions he would like answered. “What is the legal status, in terms of international and Community law, of those picked up by the Italian authorities? What regime is applicable to these persons … under what conditions can potential asylum seekers be returned to a country which is not party to the Geneva Convention? Does the bilateral Italy-Libya agreement also cover matters that are the responsibility of the Community, and, if it does, how has account been taken of these matters?” He also asks Barrot to send him the full text of the clauses of this agreement that relate to Community responsibility. On Wednesday, the Italian parliament passed a controversial anti-illegal immigration bill that would make any illegal entry or residence in Italy punishable by fines ranging from €5,000 to €10,000. The bill also provides for increasing detention in identification and expulsion centres from two to six months and for penalties of up to three years in prison for those found guilty of harbouring or leasing accommodation to illegal immigrants. The Senate must now pass the text as it stands for the law to come into force. (B.C./transl.rt)