Nigeria/Italy: Information on Alitalia boarding procedures in Lagos for Nigerian, US and UK citizens travelling to Canada via Rome
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZZZ17156.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nigeria/Italy: Information on Alitalia boarding procedures in Lagos for Nigerian, US and UK citizens travelling to Canada via Rome, 1 May 1994, ZZZ17156.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac810.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided to the DIRB by an Alitalia representative in Montréal on 6 May 1994.
Alitalia personnel in Lagos screen passports of all passengers travelling to Italy on an Alitalia flight, and those who do not carry the travel documents enabling them to enter Italy are not allowed to board an Alitalia aircraft bound for that destination. Nigerian citizens travelling abroad via Italy must apply for an Italian transit visa at the Italian embassy in Lagos in order to board an Alitalia flight to Italy. Although Alitalia personnel in Lagos screen passports, they are not trained and equipped to make a thorough verification of travel documents. Hence, if there is any doubt about the validity of any passport for which no Italian transit visa is required, including those held by passengers whose final destination is Canada, the US, the UK and Germany, the passenger could be allowed to board an Alitalia flight to Italy and would then be referred to the Alitalia personnel at Rome's Fumicino airport who will be informed in advance of the particular case.
All passengers stopping over in Rome on their way to Canada must submit to a second, more thorough screening at Fumicino airport. This screening is conducted by Alitalia personnel who have been trained and equipped by Canadian immigration officials to identify falsified passports and visas. If there are any doubts about the validity of a passport or visa, Alitalia personnel will contact immigration officials at the Canadian Embassy in Rome to check the validity of the dubious travel document. The passenger will only be allowed to travel to Canada if his or her travel documents are declared valid by Canadian immigration officials.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Alitalia, Montréal. 6 May 1994. Telephone interview with representative.