Italie : cancre en matière de respect des droits humains

  D'après le dernier rapport (mars 2009) de l'ILO (International Labour Organisation = Organisation Internationale du Travail) : les violations des droits de l’homme et les formes d’intolérance (racisme et xénophobie) envers les travailleurs immigrés sont en augmentation en Italie. Le ministre des affaires étrangères Italien, soutient que ce rapport « contient des informations fausses »...

Mais les experts de l'ILO demandent au gouvernement Italien d'appliquer les premiers articles de la convention 143 (ratifiée en 1981), qui vise au « respect des droits humains de tous les immigrés ».

Les critiques et les requêtes de l'ILO se basent sur les observations d'un organisme de l'ONU (CERD : Committee on the elimination of the racial discrimination). Le CERD a relevé de « graves violations des droits humains envers les travailleurs immigrés Africains, d'Europe de l'Est ou de l'Asie (salaires bas, horaires excessifs, conditions de travails inhumaines avec des lieux sans eau ni électricité). »

Une longue liste d'accusations...

Le comité d'experts de l'ILO exprime donc « sa profonde inquiétude » et invite le gouvernement Italien a prendre les mesures nécessaires pour qu'il y ait une « parité de traitement dans les conditions de travail pour tous les immigrés ». Enfin, le comité d'experts de l'ILO demande au gouvernement Italien de répondre à chacune de ces observations avant fin 2009.

Italy - Rapport de l'Organisation Internationale du Travail – 2009 -

“The Committee notes the apparent high incidence of discrimination and violations of basic human rights of the immigrant population in the country. It notes from the findings of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ACFC) that racism and xenophobia affecting immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees – including Roma – persists in the country creating a negative climate concerning these persons.

The ACFC also refers to the sometimes harsh conditions of detention of irregular immigrants, pending their expulsion to their country of origin (ACFC/INF/OP/II2005003, 25 October 2005). The Committee further notes the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD/C/ITA/CO/15, March 2008) expressing concern at reports of serious violations of the human rights of undocumented migrant workers, in particular those from Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, including ill treatment, low wages received with considerable delay, long working hours and situations of bonded labour in which part of the wages are being withheld by employers as payment for accommodation in overcrowded lodgings without electricity or running water. (...)

The Committee is deeply concerned by these reports on violations of basic human rights, especially of undocumented migrants coming from Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, and of an apparently increasing climate of intolerance, violence and discrimination against the immigrant population, especially the Roma of Romanian origin. As these matters have an impact on the basic level of protection of the human and labour rights and the living and working conditions of the immigrant population in Italy, the Committee considers that they raise serious issues of non-application of the Convention. The Committee recalls the Government’s obligation under Article 1 of the Convention to respect the basic human rights of all migrant workers, irrespective of their migrant status. Moreover, under Article 9(1), the Government has the obligation to ensure that migrant workers, even those illegally employed, are not deprived of their rights in respect of the work actually performed as regards remuneration, social security and other benefits. (...)”

The Committee hopes that the Government will be able to act effectively to address the apparent climate of intolerance, violence and discrimination of the immigrant population in Italy, including the Roma, and to ensure the effective protection in law and in practice of the basic human rights of all migrant workers, independent of their status. It hopes that the necessary measures will be taken to help the victims to assert their rights and to ensure that the provisions of the legislation concerning discrimination are better understood and observed, and breach of them more effectively penalized. (...) “