>> hello and a very warm welcome to "european journal" coming to you from dw studios in brussels. it's good to have you with us. let's take a look at what's coming up in this edition -- italy steps up its assistance for refugees in distress. swedes question how far is too far regarding their privacy. and spain has had enough of drunk and unruly tourists.

it is summer in europe. the weather is mild, and that means several boats set sail every day from libya in northern africa carrying hundreds of refugees. they are headed for europe in what are often hopelessly overcrowded vessels not fit for see. last year, one such vote sank off the italian island of lampedusa, and hundreds were killed -- one such boat sank. to prevent the tragedy from happening again, italian authorities have launched a mission where several italian navy ships patrolled the mediterranean sea to assist refugee boats i in distress -- in distress. our reporter got a look at one of the vessels and brought back this report. >> a quick boat ride out, you can already see the italian navy ship that is the operations center for a humanitarian

mission. with a bit less than we expected, we entered the belly of the 130-meter long landing craft. at the helm as the captain. the course is in the direction of libya, a distance of 220 nautical miles or about a 14-hour trip. the commander has been doing this commute between sicily and north africa for the humanitarian mission for weeks now. >> we have rescued about 8300 refugees. that's the size of a small town. these are people who might never have been out to sea, and they are scared and confused. when i look into the eyes of the children, i know i'm doing the right thing. >> altogether, the italian navy

has outfitted i've vessels -- five vessels. they patrol a huge expanse of the mediterranean. they contact other vessels in the area to see if they have spotted any other refugees trying to make it across on boats. >> some boats look like cauliflower. on the bottom was a boat with a little hole with heads and bodies sticking out on top, and any of them could easily fall over at any time. if there are heavy seas, the boat could easily capsize. >> behind the bridge is the operations center. this is where the commander is in charge of italian vessels operating between sicily, tunisia, and the libyan coast. we are heading for the oil and gas platforms about 60 c miles from the libyan coast.

>> these offshore sites are ideal landmarks for refugee boats, even without any navigation instruments. from there, they just have to continue straight towards lampedusa and italy. >> its easy work for the smugglers from libya with their human cargo, and it has gotten even easier with the italian navy intercepting their ships even before they have reached the halfway point. there's a boat near the first gas platform. the italians told across -- tow it across since the engine is broken down and it is out of fuel. according to international maritime law, refugees have the right to be rescued. another boat has been cited from the deck. people are being carefully transferred, women and children first.

the people on the seine georgia receive the refugees. the elderly are exhausted. most of the refugees are from syria and are very relieved. this couple comes from war-torn damascus. they paid $15,000 for their trip via turkey, then for the plane to algeria and further on to libya. >> this is the third time, going , and someone catches them from libya, and they come back. someone take us and take our money. everyone has $2000, $3000. >> police checked the refugees' passports before they even get a short. it is a tense moment since they do not really want to stay i in

italy -- stay in italy. >> this is a problem. i have to stay because if i do not, they will discover i already took my fingerprint in italy. >> authorities in rome are aware of the situation. italians often do not register refugees from eritrea and serbia, turning a blind eye to eu immigration laws. >> the people who come here already know they can refuse or should refuse to be fingerprinted. otherwise, they would be stuck in italy, not be able to travel elsewhere in europe, and if they do, they will be sent to italy. >> mainly, the syrians and eritreans make use of this

loophole regularly, and they make a pact with all of italy's boat people. >> for cases like this, refugee organizations are demanding new rules. for instance, if a refugee has relatives in europe, that person should have the right to temporary asylum. that would also want to believe the italians who are currently playing host to tens of thousands of refugees. until things change, the seine georgia -- the san georgio will continue patrol and picking up people. >> have you ever wondered why your neighbor can afford to buy yet another brand-new car? it you live in sweden, there is an easy way to find out -- check your neighbor's salary. it's all online. tax statements have to be published in sweden for the sake

of press freedom, but a private company has gone even further. its website allows you to see if a person has been convicted of a crime over the past five years. the swedes are known for their openness and transparency, but many say this is going too far. >> jonas does not feel like leaving the house much these days, even on sunny ones like this. he feels as if he is being watched. to his neighbors know about his former life he hoped he had left behind for good? years ago, he committed a robbery that earned him a two-year jail sentence. he did it to support his drug habit. now he is clean, has a wife and three children, and works as a cook at a daycare, but anyone can find out about his previous conviction. >> i can understand that employers want to know who they

are hiring, and that they have to ask for information, but now, my neighbors can see that i have a criminal record. the parents of the children at my daycare, the parents of my children's classmates at school can all know about my private life. >> the online database list those convicted of a crime in sweden in the last five years. for about 10 euros, anyone can view the info. it's legal because the website is registered as a publisher in sweden. under swedish law, dated that is not top secret is accessible to ensure freedom of the press -- data that is not top-secret. the heads of the website do not generally give interviews anymore. they have, and a lot of criticism and been threatened.

>> within 24 hours, our company became the country's most visited website. it generated enormous revenue, but the media coverage was exclusively negative. many threats were made against the company and its workers, but of course, everyone now knows what the company is. >> the site paid around 100,000 euros. business is good, and it looks like the investment has paid off. no one has qualms about revealing convicts' personal data. they say the information was already available. >> if you invest the time and go to the courthouse, you can get this information. we have just made it more easily accessible. >> at the swedish government's data inspection board, they are processing the complaints about the website. officials have to balance freedom of speech and of the

press with protection of the individual because it is registered as a publisher, it is allowed to publish sensitive data. only a constitutional amendment could change this. >> they are taking advantage of a legal loophole. the law is old. when it was passed, the internet did not even exist. >> transparency is one of the basic principles of swedish society. everyone knows almost everything about everyone else, or they can get the information if they wish. even people's incomes and tax returns are public knowledge, but at the data inspection board, there is talk that in the digital age, sweden might need to -- might need some restrictions on such transparency. >> do we really want a society in which everyone has info about

everyone else for all time? i don't think most people want to live like that. >> in may, the eu court of justice ruled that people have the right to be forgotten by the internet. the swedish bar association wants to change the country's constitution. >> it's like being back in the middle ages. then there was a pillar standing in front of the church, and people would spit at those who had committed crimes. now it is all done online. it's like in the middle ages, not the 21st century. >> but in sweden, it takes two legislative periods for changes to the constitution to take effect. that's at least eight years. jonas does not want to wait that long. he feels the state has a duty to protect citizens, so he is suing the swedish government. he has joined a class-action suit wrought by 2000 victims. >> i want to take part and show solidarity with others who have

also been used by the site. we have to defend ourselves. >> he says he has been able to deep test build a new life for himself because he was given a second chance. >> the only thing i want is to live a normal life with my wife, my kids, and my job, just the way it was before. >> tired of his past catching up with him, he believes everyone deserves a second shot. >> germans are punctual, organized, and hard-working -- at least that is according to clichés, but hermans can also be the exact opposite -- germans can also be the exact opposite, when they are on holiday, for example. hordes of binge drinking forests are proof of that -- hordes of binge-drinking torus -- tourists

are proof of that. authorities have enacted new laws to clear things up. >> welcome to one of mallorca's most infamous stretches of each. it is party central for tourists , especially german ones. >> i had been here for three hours, and it is incredible. son, summer, sand, and booze by the bucket full at the beach. you forget work and everything and drink it all away. >> you can party with a cool bunch of people. it is cheap but still nice, and you can just go wild, not like in germany. >> but that could soon be over.

since the start of june, police have not only been keeping their eyes on sheldon, but forests -- torus -- torus -- tourists, too. >> this is information. the next time is a report. 200 euros. >> drinking alcohol in public is taboo now outside of cars and restaurants. with the new bylaw, the city hopes to impose rules of ticket at the beach and the city. >> a lot of tourists they just because they are not at home, they can do what they want, but that is not how it works. after all, the beach is there for everyone, not just torus -- tourists. >> the new rules apply to everyone. aggressive eggers -- beggars.

they want to polish up their image. the counselor for tourism hopes the new rules will bring peace and order to his city. he says they can do without drunken tourists who believe themselves wherever they please, as the city hardly profits from their presence. >> tourists are now shelling out far less money here. that means we have become dated as a torus destination -- tourist destination. we spent a lot of time figuring out how to reposition ourselves, how to become a classier place. >> hotel operators have classier aims. they live from budget tour is a minot that not everyone who goes on a cheap holiday caves badly.

on the contrary, the hordes of drunken partiers scare many tourists away. >> eventually, even budget travelers will not come anymore due to the horrid conditions. the tough part is not establishing another kind of tourism here. it is making sure we do not lose our popularity in competition with other holiday areas. >> the competition is not sleeping, either. 30 kilometers away, it is party time. people are still allowed to drink at the beach and on the streets. local businessmen predict torus -- tourists will turn their back and go to places that impose new

rules on their guests. >> if they tried that here, people would take to the streets and torch city hall. 90% of the people here live from the sale of our hall. the worst customer is the one who does not come at all. -- 90% of people here live from the sale of alcohol. we treat everyone well. >> people are also fighting back against the new rules, and not just those who sell sangria by the bucket. the local citizens group inc. the new bylaw goes too far. they say it is just a paper tiger. >> in practice, they will not be able to enforce it fully. this bylaw contradicts the ideas of freedom. it boggles the mind that you could be arrested for walking around without a shirt on. it must not go that far. these rules are dictatorial.

>> in reality, the bylaws are not being enforced yet. police are giving out warnings, not fines. >> it's more effective to inform people first. only later when police headquarters deems it necessary will we also press charges. >> so tourists have a grace period until hotels, tour guides, and the police know the bylaws, but by late summer, those who do not play by the rules may be asked to pay up. >> dancing, swimming with dolphins, or knitting pullovers are relaxing activities, and they are also officially recognized methods to cure people from depression. therapist around the world have

long acknowledged that it often takes more than medicine and a couch for a therapy to be successful. a nice surrounding can help, too. this was built more than 400 years ago and once belonged to the family of a german industrial magnate and was occupied by the red army after the second world war. today, it is one of europe's most unconventional public health care centers. >> this eclectic castle is one of southern poland's best-known landmarks, but it is not a museum. this castle, near the check order, is today an unusual public health facility. its specialty is the treatment of mental health disorders.

patients here usually stay one to three months to recover from mental breakdown or to fight depression. the team of psychologists told us after a therapy session precisely why the castle has healing properties. >> it makes medical work much, much easier. our patients have serious problems like traumatic experiences, and now, they are here in a castle. the atmosphere is quite different. the castle helps the patients to open up. >> the psychologist has her practice in one of the castle's 99 towers. she has to climb 123 steps to get to work every morning, all the way up to the fifth floor.

this can take 10 minutes, but it makes her happy. the effect on her patients, who also have to make their way up the stairs later in the day, is simply indescribable. >> patients are out of breath when they get to my tower. they complain about the hard climb and then say, "you are sitting here like a real princess." i always agree and tell them that's why i'm growing my hair long, so i can when they let it down from the tower so a prince can rescue me. but seriously, if i want peace and quiet, i can go out onto the small balcony. i stand there, look at the

serene view, and can think about things. >> the day starts early in the castle. the former ballroom has been transformed into an exhibition center where patients can display their paintings. now, at 7:00 in the morning, it's time to start the day with yoga. after that, there is music therapy in the chapel. it is a time for the patience to close their eyes and relax with eclectic music -- time for the patients to close their eyes and relax with eclectic music. but just as important as group activities is the peace and serenity of the majestic castle.

she took up painting after a serious illness two weeks ago, and since she arrived four weeks ago, she cannot stop sketching the castle. her folder is bulging. >> staying here is like a fairy tale, like another world, and escape from the noise and everyday routine in the big city. we forget all that, and that's what this is all about. getting past our problems and worries. paradoxically, without experiencing the things in life, i never would have seen the castle. i think it is good for me. >> she spends her free afternoons in the castle. she looks for secret passages and likes the sound of the creaking of the old flooring.

the solid walls create an atmosphere like no other. she says exploring the castle is like a form of therapy. the castle is full of hidden surprises, staircases, passages, and labyrinths. >> in our group therapy, we choose a new leader every week, someone would call the king or queen. his week, i am the queen, and i feel a bit like royalty living here. >> the castle is a special place for people who have gone through traumatic experiences, but as serene as it is, it is not isolated from the world. the castle has a few hotel rooms ready for visitors who also want to enjoy its unique architecture and setting.

>> and that is it for today on "european journal." until next time, auf wi edersehen, thanks for watching, and by for now. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

gg99ññwçça7guc

06/19/14 06/19/14 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] >> from pacifica, this is democracy now! >> i can tell you we are open to engaging the iranians just as we are engaging other regional players on the threat posed by isil in iraq. >> as iraq request the united states carry out airstrikes against sunni militants, we will look at the role of iran while washington and tehran work together to shore up the iraqi