Italy to Resume Accepting Asylum Seekers Returned from Netherlands

(MENAFN) Italy and the Netherlands have reached a new agreement that will allow asylum seekers who entered Europe through Italy and later traveled to the Netherlands to be returned to Italian territory, according to officials.

The arrangement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed in Rome by Dutch Asylum and Migration Minister Bart van den Brink and Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, according to reports.

Van den Brink said the two countries agreed that Italy will begin accepting returned asylum seekers once the European Migration Pact takes effect on June 12.

Under the agreement, individuals who registered their asylum applications in the Netherlands before that date will not be subject to return procedures.

The European Migration Pact gives member states several options to support countries facing heavy migration pressures, including accepting asylum seekers or providing financial and logistical assistance. According to Van den Brink, the Netherlands intends to contribute through financial and other forms of support rather than relocating asylum seekers.

The two governments also agreed to deepen cooperation on the repatriation of rejected asylum applicants to their home countries and to strengthen efforts against migrant-smuggling networks.

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