CAT/OP/ITA/1/Add.1
distinction between unaccompanied minors and unaccompanied minors seeking
international protection.
53.
In particular, in line with the provisions contained in the above Intesa, dated 10 July
2014, as for the first reception of unaccompanied minors, the Interior Ministry sets up and
manages, also upon agreement with local Authorities, specialized Centers for rescue and
immediate protection hosting minors for the strictly necessary time – not exceeding a sixty
day-term - for the identification and possible age assessment.
54.
The first reception is therefore provided at highly specialized governmental
facilities, while the second level of reception is within the enhanced SPRAR framework.
55.
Pending the completion of the new system and in line with what was covered in the
above Intesa, dated 10 July 2014, the Interior Ministry:
(1)
Coordinates the establishment of temporary reception structures, as identified
and authorized by the Regions, in cooperation with the Prefectures and local Authorities.
To this end, the Ministry issued two public notices for the presentation of projects to be
financed under the FAMI emergency measures, "Improvement of the Italian territory
capacity to accommodate unaccompanied minors." Fifteen projects have been approved for
funding. Accordingly, they have started activities as of 20 March 2015, for a total of 737
daily places, in the Regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Lazio,
Liguria, Puglia, Sicily, and Tuscany.
(2)
The European Union approved the extension of the project-activities for six
more months, which will allow to keep places in the first reception - pending activation of
the governmental Centers of first reception under Article 19, paragraph 1, of Legislative
Decree No. 142/15;
(3)
Increases the capacity of places within the SPRAR network.
56.
With reference to the second reception level, it is expected that unaccompanied
minors not seeking international protection have access to the SPRAR system, within the
limits of the places and resources available. In this regard, the expansion of the system has
begun in the second semester of 2014.
57.
Finally, following the publication of a new SPRAR-related call for tender, dedicated
to minors, the SPRAR network for minors has been further enhanced with the creation of
1,010 new more jobs, activated from December 2015 onwards. 4
4
In order to face the increasing flow of UAMs in Italy, a new reception system dedicated to minors
has been implemented from January 1, 2015 onwards, with the aim of setting up first-assistance
reception Centers dedicated to UAMs in addition to those created by Municipalities and financed by
Italian funds. This system envisages a two-level reception: 1) the first level is immediately activated,
after the landing of minors who are mainly transferred to dedicated centers financed from within
Italian funds. In order to support the above-mentioned system, the above-mentioned Department for
Civil Liberties and Immigration at the Ministry of the Interior signed with the European Commission,
the Grant Agreement for the Emergency Measure, entitled “Improving territorial capacities to receive
UAMs”, under the AMIF – EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE. This addresses UAMs landed in Italy or
identified and traced in Italy after landing, in the lapse time between March 20, 2015 - December 17,
2015. This Measure aims at strengthening the first reception phase, with reference to early
identification and assessment of the minor age, transfer from landing and tracing sites to the reception
centers, also in order to facilitate family reunification and identification of specific vulnerabilities. In
this context, the Ministry of Interior issued two calls for tender concerning dedicated temporary
reception projects for UAMs at highly specialized structures, in collaboration with project partners
such as IOM, Italian Red Cross, Save the Children, ANCI (National Association of Italian
Municipalities) and UNHCR and an adequate transition to the second level of reception under the
9