MEPs from the EP Subcommittee on Human Rights will visit Italy from 27 February to 1 March to meet with migrants and refugees that have arrived in the country.
The purpose of the visit is to meet with migrants and refugees in order to collect first-hand information about their experiences while travelling from their countries of origin, the situation in transit countries, primarily Libya, and the conditions they face upon arrival in Europe.
The delegation will also meet with representatives of Italian authorities at both legislative and executive level, UN agencies in Rome, local non-governmental organisations involved in search and rescue operations as well as Vatican authorities. MEPs will seek to discuss the most pressing issues related to the situation for refugees and migrants, including for the most vulnerable groups, such as women, unaccompanied minors and people belonging to religious minorities.
In December last year, EP Subcommittee on Human Rights Chair Antonio Panzeri (S&D, IT) was part of a European Parliament delegation that participated at the Intergovernmental Conference for adopting the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Marrakesh, as part of the overall EU delegation. The Parliament has closely followed the processes leading to the UN Global Compacts on Refugees and on Migration, through plenary and committee debates, inter-parliamentary meetings, fact-finding missions and, in April 2018, the adoption of a plenary resolution on the Global Compacts by a large majority.
A press conference will be held at the European Parliament’s Liaison office in Rome on Friday at 15.00.
The members of the delegation are Antonio Panzeri (Chair, S&D, IT), Željana Zovko (EPP, HR), Soraya Post (S&D, SE), Barbara Lochbihler (The Greens/EFA, DE) and Baroness Nosheena Mobarik (ECR, UK).
