Witnessing a readmission in the port of Venice On April 18, 2012 while on a research visit in Italy, a researcher of the team was invited by the port authorities to observe the readmission procedure of two apprehended Afghans on board of an ANEK Lines ship, which had arrived at 11pm. then return home to Afghanistan. Some minutes later the Afghans signed a paper, which was in Italian without any further interpretation and explanation of its content or its legal consequences and without providing nd We went to the 2 floor of the ship, together them with a copy. This paper included only the with the Iraqi interpreter of Coges organization, basic personal data and no further information who reportedly provides interpretation in Arabic, regarding their cases. As the researcher was told, a Kurdish, Turkish and Farsi. The two Afghans were copy would be handed at a later time to the captain brought into the saloon. They seemed exhausted of the ship. and frightened. One of them appeared to have a broken nose. After a body search of the When the procedure was concluded and the apprehended, the police officers via the interpreter two Afghans were taken away to the provisional asked the apprehended questions about their detention room, one of the officers commented personal data. At some point the interpreter to the researcher, that they didn’t want to ask for continued asking questions. The police did not asylum in Italy and that there was nothing else the ask any further questions and nobody wrote police could do. down the questions or the supposed answers of -----------------------------the interpreter and the two apprehended. In the case of the first Afghan, the interpreter told the Apparently, the whole procedure lacked any legal police, that he grew up in Iran, where the rest of safeguards, no information was provided to the his family lives without facing any problem with apprehended ones regarding the asylum and the the authorities and that he wants to go to Belgium readmission procedure and no formal identification as he has an uncle there. Concerning the second procedure was followed. The police didn’t really Afghan, the interpreter explained to the officers assess their specific needs, nor are they the competent in Italian, that due to his accent he doubts if the authorities to do so. Furthermore, they arbitrarily young man grew up in Afghanistan. The interpreter concluded that the Afghans didn’t want to apply went on telling, that this Afghan also wants to go for asylum. Finally, the Afghans were not informed to Belgium in order to work for three months and about their readmission (Fieldnotes, 18.4.12) 11