Statement
The recent sinking incident of the migrants’ boat in the waters of southern Italy near the coastal city of Crotone, which led to the loss of precious lives of our compatriots, the injury of several Afghans, and the placement of Afghan survivors in the government immigration centers, has disturbed and saddened Afghans and the international community at large.
In the aftermath of this incident, on February 26, 2023, the Afghan Embassy in Rome immediately requested a series of official meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Interior of the Italian Republic as well as sought permission to travel to Crotone as soon as possible. The next day, an emergency meeting was held by HE Khaled Ahmad Zekriya, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Rome, Italy, with the Afghan associations in Italy, Afghan civil society and diaspora at the premise of the embassy (the outcome of the meeting was shared in the previous embassy statement on this website page). In view of the diplomatic and protocol etiquette, where official meetings and trips for the ambassadors and diplomatic core requires the permission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant authorities of the host nation, finally, on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in coordination with the Ministry of Interior of Italy informed the embassy of its readiness to officially receive the Ambassador in Crotone.
On Thursday, March 2nd, 2023, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Rome and his accompanying delegation, including some heads and members of the Afghan Associations in Italy, Afghan civil society and diaspora in Italy, arrived at 12:00pm in Crotone.
After paying their respects and praying for the souls of the victims of this accident and placing a flower reef on a small part of what was remained of the sunk boat, the ambassador and members of his delegation spoke with several Afghans, who had come from other parts of Italy or Europe to inquire about the missing bodies of their loved ones. At the incident site, the ambassador responded to their questions and took notes on outstanding issues. Subsequently, the ambassador of Afghanistan and some members of his delegation met with the Provincial Head of the Ministry of Interior of Crotone, HE Maria Carolina Ippolito. At the meeting, the ambassador submitted the prepared data bank containing attained information on identities and photographs of some of the missing Afghans to assist the provincial office of Crotone. Additionally, the ambassador requested that severe consideration and accurate answers be given to the questions of the members of the deceased families. The Provincial Head of Crotone expressed full cooperation in all areas as well as shared the following official statistics:
*Around 180 people were on the boat;
*67 bodies were found;
*32 bodies were identified by the surviving members of the victims' families, who are Afghans;
*Almost all the surviving family members of the victims have given permission to the Italian authorities to bury their loved ones in Italy in the cemetery of Crotone and other cemeteries nearby this city;
*5 Afghans were transferred to Croton Hospital for treatment; and
*72 Afghans were taken to the Kroton government immigration center.
After the meeting, the ambassador and members of his delegation went to visit the sports hall where the bodies of the deceased were placed. As the ambassador met Afghans who had come from other parts of Italy or Europe to receive the dead bodies of their relatives, he also listened to their dire needs and concerns, including how to speed up the process of handing over and transferring the bodies of the deceased to their families. Additionally, the ambassador reiterated to these Afghan families that completing the investigation of this incident by the Italian Police is imperative for issuing a death certificate by the embassy. In the end, the Afghan ambassador asked three members of his delegation to sit with these Afghans in order to register their information and collect their documents. At the end, it was decided by the ambassador that several members of his delegation should stay for a few days in Crotone to finalize the required paperwork for the release and transfer of the deceased bodies to members of their families.
Since the ambassador and his accompanying delegation were not allowed to visit the wounded Afghan survivors at the hospital due to Covid-19 restrictions, the ambassador and the embassy lawyer attended their next meeting with the CARA of Crotone (government immigration center) and met with the Afghan survivors. The ambassador inquired about the psychological and health conditions and responded to their questions as well as to their possible relocation in other parts of Italy or other countries in the near future.
Throughout this visit, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Rome participated in a series of interviews to inform the Afghan and Italian community regarding ways and means of identifying the remaining bodies of the deceased as well as to encourage the local authorities to accelerate the completion of their investigation for the Afghan families to be able to receive and transport the bodies of their loved ones.
The ambassador and most delegation members left Crotone for Rome in the evening.
Pursuant to the previous meetings held with various authorities in Rome, yesterday March 3, 2023, the Ambassador of Afghanistan and the Consular Officer of the embassy had an official meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. During this meeting, concerns of the families of the victims and of the survivors of the accident, speeding up the process of completing the investigation of this event in order for the embassy to issue death certificates, identifying the remaining bodies as well as assisting those Afghan families that are unable to pay for the cost of the transportation for bodies of their loved ones were discussed.
Next week, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Rome is planning to have official meetings with the Italian Ministry of Interior, the Red Cross, various non-governmental organizations, Afghan businessmen, and various airlines for the purpose of covering the transporting cost of the bodies of deceased, whose families are unable to pay for it.
It should be brought to the attention of our Compatriots, those who have lost their loved ones in this incident, they should avoid the issuance of death certificates from other Missions of Afghanistan in European countries. According to the accepted international rules and laws of the host nation, for the issuance of death certificates, it is mandatory to submit a police report in the area where the accident occurred.
Published in: News
Last modified on Tuesday, 07/03/2023
