ITALY-IMMIGRATION: Albanian Refugees to be Deported

By Jorge Pina

ROME, Sep 2 (IPS) - Albanians fleeing civil war at home and seeking a more comfortable life in Italy had a rude awakening Tuesday: they will have to leave, authorities here told them in no uncertain terms.

The Italian government finally obtained the parliamentary support it needed from the main political parties of the centre- left governing coalition in order to begin to deport the close to 17,000 Albanian refugees who reached the country earlier this year.

Only the Green party legislators opposed the decision, but they have a weak voice in the coalition that backs Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The measure was also opposed by the Refounded Communists, who do not form part of the government but back it in parliament.

The centre-right opposition alliance, a sector of the local press, and the Northern League - which advocates independence for Italy's northern region - have all been calling loudly for the deportation of the Albanian refugees. ''When Are They Leaving?'' headlines in a number of newspapers asked almost daily.

According to the Council of Ministers' resolution announced Tuesday, the deportation will be carried out in stages, and is to conclude on Nov. 30.

Refugees who have obtained a temporary residency permit will be the last to leave, and will be able to return legally when Albania and Italy - which are separated by the Adriatic Sea - reach an immigration accord.

The Italian foreign ministry and Albanian authorities will discuss quotas for the entry of Albanians wishing to work in Italy. Deportees who have a temporary residency permit and/or family members in Italy will be given priority.

But those who left the centres set up for housing the refugees and have been living in Italy without documents will be immediately repatriated, as soon as they are found by the security forces.

The interior ministry reported that by Jun. 30, nearly 17,000 Albanian refugees had reached Italy. Some 6,500 of them have already returned home, while 2,000 left the places where they were being held.

The head of the Albanian government, Fatos Nano, asked Italy to postpone the repatriation of the refugees. But Prime Minister Prodi denied the request, saying the measure had already been delayed, because the deportation was originally set to begin on Aug. 31.

Prodi urged the European and international communities to contribute to the future development of Albania, in order to prevent ''future waves of emigrants, much larger than those seen so far.''

Under-secretary of labour Giovanni Mattioli of the Green party said that ''with these measures, the governing class has demonstrated a tremendous cultural poverty.'' He maintained that the situation of the Albanian refugees could have been legalised without creating problems.

''We are facing an age-old issue, emigration, and here we are worried about a few thousand people who came from the other shore of the Atlantic,'' he said.

But the right-wing opposition continued to demand the total and immediate deportation of the Albanians, most of whom reached Italy in March and April. In early April, 89 refugees died when an Italian vessel ran into the boat they were using to flee to this country.

Speaking with the Italian daily 'Corriere della Sera', U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised Italy's efforts towards the reestablishment of normality in Albania.

On Aug. 29, the Italian government approved a 12 million dollar three-year cooperation programme with Albania. The funds will go towards the consolidation of democratic institutions, the upgrading of infrastructure, protection of the environment and development of the private sector. (END/IPS/TRA-SO/JP/FF/SW/97)