Donnerstag, 28. Juni 2012


115 migrants arrive in the port of Catania last night: the disgrace starts again

A total of 115 migrants, 30 of whom were minors,  arrived in the Port of Catania last night. They were sailing on an old Egyptian fishing boat which was 15 metres long and had been intercepted near Torre Archirafi after two days of aerial "surveillance" by the Finance Police.
After a couple of hours, the migrants including the minors were transferred in the middle of the night to a former gym (which had never actually been used for its originally purpose due to being unfit for human habitation) belonging to the school Andrea Doria in Via Cordai, on the corner between Via Trovato and Via Concordia.
Based on what criteria exactly did the authorities make such a suggestion? For its suitability as a shelter? Or, being dark and underground,  was it somewhere that would guarantee their invisibility?
Already in October 2010 the authorities created a shameful game of hide and seek, where migrants were prevented from having access to charitable and legal organisations, who were threatened by the police and the carabinieri on more than one occasion. The 68 migrants had their rights to asylum totally destroyed and were deported back to Egypt under the shameful repatriation agreements which are still functioning today.
Now, as then, the protection of minors is at least being recognised, but we fear that the situation could once again lead to their illegal deportation to Egypt, before the migrants can be guaranteed their right to seek asylum.
For this reason the associations below and their legal representatives are asking to be received by the Prefecture this afternoon.
Catania Anti-Racist Network, GAPA, PRC, Arci, Cobas Scuola

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