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Migration

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Scenario: Migration

• Summer, 2003 – Italy has been taking a very tough posture on illegal immigration. Many of its illegal immigrants have been entering the country through human smuggling routes, mostly by ship. Heavy patrolling along Sicily and the southern coast of the country has shifted the “alien traffic” northward. The Italian officials believe that Croatian ports and ships are involved in the process.

• May 14 – A ship overloaded with African illegal immigrants sinks while attempting to flee Italian patrol boats. 67 people drown and 31 are in the hands of Italian authorities. The ship and its crew of 6 are Croatian. The captain and crew are under arrest in Bari.

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Migration (cont.)

• May 15 – The government of Italy files an official demarche to the GOC with demands that the government crack down on the use of Croatian ports and ships involved in migrant trafficking. An attachment to the demarche provides allegations of the involvement of 10 Croatians in the business of profiting through illegal immigration schemes, and demands their extradition for trial in Italy. They expect these individuals to be turned over in 10 days.

• May 16 – Thirty Sri Lankans are detained by Italian authorities at the Slovenian-Italian border, hidden in boxes bearing furniture labels, en route from Zagreb to Udine. The truck is licensed in Croatia, and the Sri Lankans claim to have paid $1,000 each to be transported from Zagreb to northern Italy.

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Migration (cont.)

• May 19 – Police report that they have unconfirmed reports that two enterprises leasing large, private pleasure craft are collaborating with Albanian smugglers in bringing as many as 2,500 Albanians from small ports in Croatia and Albania to Italy. Some rumors claim that the Italian mafia is involved in the scheme.