Tuscany sees sharp rise in migrants deemed unfit for repatriation centers

During a session of the Tuscany regional council, health assessor Monia Monni answered questions from Forza Italia and Fratelli d'Italia, revealing that 68% of migrants examined by the ASL Toscana Centro between January and April 2026 were deemed unsuitable for placement in CPR (Centri di permanenza per il rimpatrio) facilities, compared with a lower proportion the previous year. She explained that the infectious diseases department at the hospital in Ponte a Niccheri no longer performs these evaluations after restructuring its workflow.

Monni also stated that the regional authority cannot verify the authenticity of medical certificates, a point highlighted by a Ravenna prosecutor's investigation into possible falsifications. Opposition lawmakers, including Diego Petrucci, Marco Stella and Jacopo Maria Ferri, criticized the figures and called for more rigorous inspections, proposing the construction of a new CPR center in Sesto Fiorentino close to highways, the airport, the railway station and police installations. The debate references the Lamorgese directive, which requires physicians to confirm the absence of chronic, infectious or mental illnesses before migrants can be transferred.