Khartoum to identify Sudanese illegal migrants in Italy

August 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The foreign ministry Thursday said it requested the interior ministry to send a delegation to address the situation of Sudanese illegal migrants stranded on the Italian-French border.

Several hundreds of Sudanese migrants are now stopped on the French border after their arrival by boats from Libya. Paris says it is up to Italy assess their asylum claims.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Gharib Allah Khidir said they asked the interior ministry to dispatch urgently a delegation to Rome to identify Sudanese migrants and to provide them with the needed papers before to repatriate them back to Sudan.

The move comes after a demand by the Italian government through the Sudanese embassy in Rome to identify its nationals before to return them to Sudan, al-Khidir added.

Italy complains of the French refusal to receive some of illegal migrants arriving from Africa.

In line with Schengen zone agreement, people can move freely within the European countries, but governments can tighten border control in exceptional circumstances.

Earlier this year, Sudan accepted to cooperate with the EU efforts to fight illegal human trafficking.

Smuggling gangs have taken advantage of Libya’s instability to run a lucrative business and put at risk vulnerable people who seek better life.

(ST)