Anti-illegal immigration The difficult economic conditions of the various North African and East European nations, feed, since some time, a constant illegal flow of migration towards those Western States whose geographical positions represent an anchor of salvation and whose economies could guarantee the illegal immigrants a life style hardly reachable in the respective Lands of origin. The problem is particularly felt in Italy where for the above mentioned reasons, the flow of migration has grown in a significant way, making our Nation one of the principal destinations for the landing of immigrants. The Corps of the Capitanerie di Porto – Coast Guard – in this context are called, together with the other Police forces, to face the problems of rescue and public order that such a situation creates.
The anti-immigration activity has seen the Corps of the Capitanerie di Porto engaged since 1991, as a result of precise government directives, intent to hold the mass illegal immigration from the Albanian coast towards the Italian territory in check. An aero-naval disposition has been activated with the line up in Durazzo and Valona of three Naval units of the Corps, and more than 80 men on land in the logistics base especially fit out in that port ambit (Durazzo).
Naval units and Land Divisions have constituted the 1st Coast Guard Squadron, operating in Albania in the sphere of the 22nd Naval Group of the Italian Navy, under the operational command of the Navy Staff Corps.
After the homecoming to Italy and the consequent dissolving of the 22nd Naval Group which happened in December 1993, the General Command felt it necessary to re-constitute the 1st Squadron, up until then operating in Albanese waters, at Brindisi, because, as it has been foreseen, the abandoning of the bases in Albania would cause an irreparable loss of informational flow and the possibility of preventing and repressing the rising of exodus attempts.
Therefore, since January 18th 1994 the 1st Squadron has been rearranged in Brindisi and remained operational until June 2000.
Anti-illegal immigration The problematic referred to illegal immigration has received a “dramatic” impulse starting from 1992 on the southern coasts of Sicily, particularly referring to the coastal stretch between Porto Empedocle and Capo Passero (90 Nautical Miles) and even more the islands of Lampedusa and Pantelleria, not counting that a recrudescence of the phenomena has come up even in the area of Trapani. In relation to the mentioned stretch of coasts the General Command has taken care in strengthening more than once the area with a line up of open-sea units. The effort put into the activity by the Maritime Offices has allowed a drastic reduction of the phenomena in the above mentioned areas, while there has been an increment of infiltration attempts at Lampedusa and Pantelleria. Therefore, on April 16th 1994, has been instituted the 3rd Coast Guard Motor Patrol Boat Squadron which was lined up in the area on May 9th 1994 and remained operational until May 2001.
Besides the activity referred to the exposed areas, all Maritime Offices of the Southern Coast of Sicily (Trapani, Porto Empedocle, Licata, Gela, Pozzallo, and Siracusa) carry out maritime police activity with a particular concern upon the containment of illegal immigration. On April 2nd 1997 the Protocol of Understanding has been signed in Tirana (and renewed in April 1998), concerning joint controls in territorial waters belonging to the Republic of Albania, and which prescribes that Italy commits itself in keeping dislocated in Albania a Naval Command denominated the 28th Naval Group to exercise the surveillance activity in order to prevent illegal phenomena linked to immigration. Albania grants the Italian units the power of acting upon Albanian units, in national and international waters, activities of flag interrogation, detention, inspections re-routing into Albanian ports.
In the mentioned 28th Naval Group operate, in Albanian territorial waters, 6 Coast Guard Motor Patrol Boats (1 class 400 Motor Patrol Boat, and 5 class 200) which, together, form the 5th Coast Guard Squadron.
