Prosecutors Investigate Doctors Who Treated Undocumented Migrants

Italian rights groups on Thursday criticised prosecutors for investigating doctors suspected of helping undocumented migrants avoid being held in detention centres, according to The Local Italy. The report, carried by the English-language outlet that covers Italy for foreign readers, describes the inquiry as a source of anger among organisations that work with migrants.

The dispute turns on the boundary between medical care and immigration enforcement. Doctors who treat patients without documents are expected to act under professional and constitutional obligations to provide care, while prosecutors in the case appear to be examining whether some clinicians went further and helped people evade administrative detention.

The Local Italy did not name the prosecutors or the doctors involved, or specify which jurisdiction opened the inquiry. It reported only that the investigation concerns medics suspected of helping undocumented migrants avoid being held in detention centres, and that rights groups responded with public criticism.