Brussels [Belgium], July 17: Italy is effectively still blocking the return of asylum seekers from Germany and other member states, according to an EU report.
In the first three weeks after a new EU asylum system entered into force, the Italian authorities refused 12 times to take back asylum seekers for whom they were responsible, according to an analysis released on Wednesday by the European Commission.
The report said that the Italian authorities were not actively coordinating with other member states on the practical and logistical steps for transfers back to Italy.
The commission conceded that Italy had made major efforts to implement the new asylum rules but that concrete steps were required to ensure that transfers back actually took place.
Source: Qatar Tribune
