Brexit, Di Maio: “12 compatriots detained and repatriated”

There are twelve cases of Italian compatriots who have been denied entry to Great Britain for lack of a visa and all, including Marta Lomartire, have received assistance from the Consulate General of Italy in London. This was stated by Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, responding to the Question time in the chamber. “Recently there have been about thirty cases of European citizens, not only Italians, to whom the British border authorities have denied entry for lack of a visa. The interested parties – said Di Maio – were detained in special centers, pending the repatriation, which in some cases took place after a few days, due to the shortage of flights, with consequent concern of family members, to whom all my understanding goes “. “Among these cases, twelve concerned our compatriots. All – assured Di Maio – were promptly assisted by the Consulate General of Italy in London who spoke with the interested parties, their families and the British border authorities, to ascertain, case by case, the correct assessment of the situation. Also in the case of Mrs. Marta Lomartire, the Consulate General immediately acted upon notification, on Saturday 17 April, of her uncle, who had invited her to the country with his letter. constant contact with the Lomartire family until the moment of repatriation, which took place on the afternoon of Sunday 18 April “. Della Vedova will go to London for Italians rejected at the border Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Benedetto Della Vedova will go to London next week to discuss the matter with the British Undersecretary of the Interior responsible for immigration, the Foreign Minister later announced. Della Vedova had already raised the issue during a meeting at the Farnesina with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom. Di Maio stressed that the Italian embassy in London “formally intervened with a Note Verbale and with direct contacts with the Ministry of the Interior. British to ask for clarification and express concern about the disproportionate treatment reserved to our compatriots “. Furthermore, the British authorities were presented with “the opportunity to strengthen the information campaigns on the migration legislation in force since 1 January 2021” after Brexit. “The Delegation of the European Union in London, also on our impulse, intervened at the British authorities to request a closer link between the European citizens concerned and their respective consular offices, limit detention times and ensure adequate treatment for those arrested “, said the Foreign Minister.” The British authorities – said Di Maio – yes are committed to facilitating the exercise of consular assistance in favor of European citizens stopped at the border without a visa and to consider the possibility that, in future similar cases, they may enter British territory on bail until the time of the repatriation flight ” Finally, concluded the minister, “the Italian diplomatic-consular network in the United Kingdom has long been engaged in a widespread campaign of training on the new legislation for entry into the country after Brexit, also through the traviaresicuri.it website. The campaign has recently been intensified and relaunched on social media, in view of the possible resumption of international travel following the easing of travel restrictions “.