Italy approves decree to streamline asylum applications

Rome, Feb 11 (IANS/AKI) Italy's cabinet on Friday approved an emergency decree to accelerate asylum requests and expedite deportations to reduce pressure on the country's courts and asylum centres as the migrant crush continues.

"The measures equip Italy for new challenges and aim to speed up the process of recognition of refugees' rights...and the deportation of migrants who are not entitled to asylum," said Italy's premier Paolo Gentiloni after the cabinet meeting.

The emergency decree cut to two from three the number of possible appeals to an asylum ruling in a bid to cut the average two-year waiting time, Interior Minister Marco Minniti said.

The interior ministry will hire 250 immigration specialists to staff the committees that examine asylum requests, Minniti said.

The committee interviews with asylum seekers will be video-recorded so that judges do not have to conduct a new interview during the appeals process, justice minister Andrea Orlando said.

Twelve 12 special tribunals will be set up to exclusively handle asylum appeals, he said.

"The process will be much more streamlined but people's rights will not be diminished," Orlando claimed.

The decree distributes migrants more evenly across the country and allocates 100 million euros ($106 million) to councils that take more migrants in what Minniti called "a new model of integration".

Asylum-seekers will also be offered unpaid voluntary work while their applications are being considered, Minniti said.

--IANS/AKI

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