EU must check legality of Italian expulsions

10.30.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 5th Nov 2007

The Liberal Democrats' European Justice Spokeswoman, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, is calling on EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini, a former Italian minister, to check whether the Italian government is in conformity with EU law in its expulsions of Romanian citizens.

Commenting, she said:

"Commissioner Frattini was last week said to regard the Italian expulsions as legal. But if the latest press reports of immediate expulsion without appeal are true, this would certainly breach EU law. There is rightly provision on EU law for deportation in specific cases, but this cannot degenerate into hysterical and discriminatory mob rule."

"As we have seen in Britain - with the case of Philip Lawrence killer Learco Chindamo, whose deportation to Italy was blocked by the English High Court last week - the rules on expulsion of EU citizens are precise, and it would be unacceptable to have unequal enforcement of EU standards and safeguards across the different Member States."

"I am calling on Commissioner Fattini to check that the Italian decree and police practice respects the requirements for proportionality, 'a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat', a basis in the individual's own conduct, and provision for appeal. If there are mass summary expulsions, he must condemn them and take action for breach of EU law."