Amnesty International alleges that ill-treatment and unlawful expulsions of migrants amount to torture. People have suffered beating, electric shocks and sexual humiliation at the hands of Italian police after resisting having their fingerprints taken. Amnesty’s report makes a clear link with pressure from EU leaders and institutions to set up so-called ‘hotspots’ to process migrants. In their determination to reduce the onward movement of people to other member states, EU leaders have driven Italian authorities beyond what is legal.