“I deplore the tendency to consider illegal immigrants as criminals”. This is what the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, Pillay, said. Speaking to the Italian Lower Chamber, Pillay underlined the importance of a national organ to protect human rights. “The people who ask for refuge – she added – must be listened to and the rejecting procedure doesn’t allow this. So this is a violation of human rights”. Finally she criticized the clichés concerning gypsies.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute