In the event that an Italian citizen is arrested within this consular district, the Consulate may:
- Provide a list of Italian lawyers in the UK for legal assistance to the detainee (fees to be paid by the detainee or their family). Please note that a duty solicitor, and an interpreter when needed, will always be provided free of charge.
- Facilitate contact with family members in Italy, with the detainee’s consent, providing them, for example, with information about the procedures to follow in order to re-establish contact and/or visit their relative;
- Conduct consular visits to the detainee upon their request;
- Assist with transfer to Italy, in accordance with the 1983 Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
Please note that in the United Kingdom, the consular authority is generally only notified of the arrest of an Italian citizen if the detainee consents to such notification. In the case o dual nationals, the consulate might not be notified at all.
The Consulate cannot, under any circumstances:
- Intervene in legal proceedings on behalf of the detainee;
- Cover the detainee’s legal expenses.
Further information regarding your rights whilst detained, can be found here:
Notice of rights and entitlements: English (accessible version) – GOV.UK