Palermo, Sicily - Italy's coast guard on Sunday intercepted 75 would-be African immigrants and were returning them to Libya, the Italian agency Ansa reported. The agency said the inflatable boat was intercepted 24 nautical miles south of the island of Sicily.
With the exception of one injured man, all the refugees, mainly Somalians, were boarded onto an Italian financial police vessel and were being taken back to Libya.
The day before a Maltese coast guard vessel had intercepted the boat and had provided the Africans with food, water and fuel, while letting the boat to continue towards Sicily.
The Ansa report said that the would-be immigrants included 15 women and three minors.
The report also said that the refugees should, under Italian law, have been permitted to enter. Refugees from crisis regions such as Somalia, have a right under Italian law to apply for political asylum. Also, under Italian law minors may not be turned away.
Italy has been sharply criticised by international organisations such as the UN refugee agency UNHR for its practice, initiated at the outset of this year, of intercepting refugees and sending them back before they could reach Italian soil. The organisations say the practice violates the Geneva convention on refugees.
