E/CN.4/2005/85/Add.3 page 14 51. The Special Rapporteur decided to visit centres in particular locations and with special characteristics: the Restinco CPTA, in Brindisi (Puglia), because of its proximity to Albania, and the Lampedusa CPTA, the main disembarkation point for undocumented migrants from the coast of Tunisia and Libya, sometimes in tragic circumstances. 52. On the day of the visit to the Restinco CPTA facilities there were 57 individuals there - 26 women and 31 men - who had been intercepted in various parts of Italy. The director of the centre explained that the cooperative Fiamme d’Argento had been managing the centre since it was selected by public competition in accordance with the criteria laid down by the Administration.17 The cooperative was responsible for all of the centre’s services, including health assistance, while other associations carried out projects previously agreed on with the Prefect. One out of every six people interned in the Restinco CPTA would appeal against their administrative detention orders, although this did not suspend their deportations. 53. The Special Rapporteur expressed surprise on finding that not a single immigrant was being held in the Lampedusa CPTA on the day of her visit. According to the Centre’s official register, 62 people had been transferred the previous day to the Crotone S. Anna CPTA (Calabria).18 During the month, the register showed that up to 329 individuals were in the CPTA on the same day, although the Centre’s maximum capacity was 190. Since 1 January 2004, 1,680 individuals had apparently passed through it: 832 had declared themselves to be Palestinians, 322 Iraqis, 112 Bangladeshis, 63 Sudanese, 59 Eritreans, 58 Moroccans, etc. In 2003, 8,796 people had been detained at the Centre. 54. The Lampedusa CPTA was built in 1998 as provisional centre and since then the facilities have remained the same, although improvements have been made, including the infirmary and a prayer space for Muslim immigrants. The immigrants continue to be housed in huts and containers. In the Special Rapporteur’s opinion, the location of the Centre, adjoining the airport, gives no guarantee of security. The plan to build a new centre in the interior of the island appears to have been suspended because of protests from the population. The Ministry of the Interior reported that it was negotiating a transfer to another part of the island with the Ministry of Defence. 55. Arrivals in the Lampedusa CPTA are reported to the Ministry of the Interior, and the Department of Public Security in Rome decides where to send people depending on the nationality they declare and the number of places free in other CPTAs. In the event of mass landings, the Ministry of the Interior ensures an immediate transfer out of the Centre when its maximum capacity is exceeded. 56. The Special Rapporteur met the staff of the Centre, all of whom are members of or volunteers in the religious organization Cofradía de la Misericordia. The psychologist explained that she met the immigrants as a group with the help of an interpreter and in special cases held individual interviews. The individuals held were examined by a doctor on arrival and, if it was considered necessary, were transferred to the polyclinic. In emergencies, a helicopter took patients to Trapani hospital. The local authorities commented that there was some discontent among the local population because of the impact this had on the island’s health services.