An evening in the square in Lampedusa

It's 7 pm, and a group of young Eritrean men and women are sitting silently on the steps in front of the church, holding in paper signs in their hands reading “we are refugees”,and “no to fingerprints”:squeezed up against each other due to the cold weather.

I am passing by, carrying my shopping bags and stop in front of the group to get an idea of what is happening. They are a group of about 200 Eritreans who have been here since beginning of December, refusing for their fingerprints to be registered, as they have the right to request asylum in countries other than Italy, where they would however have to remain if they were to be give their fingerprints here in Lampedusa, Italy’s first Hotspot. This was certainly not a threatening crowd. They blank stares, and weren't even talking among themselves, but when I smiled and got closer, they reciprocated. 

The migrant hunt is open

Faruk, a young migrant from an African country rich of diamond mines, gets off the train with sad and empty eyes full of fear, together with other two friends he met on his journey. Notwithstanding his young age, Faruk has gone through a lot: A mother who was killed in his country, a younger brother who did not survive the desert and the violence of military people trained by European military, a father, destroyed by the pain of losing first his wife and then his little son, who vanished at sea.

High specialized reception Centre for minors in Mazara del Vallo: can it really be qualified like this?

The reception center for minors, started in the ex-hotel Conte Ruggero II, has been managed since last June by the cooperative “Fiori di pesco” and is authorized to the initial reception of minors by acting as high-specialized center, with the Regional Degree of May 25th and positive reference from the municipality of Mazara del Vallo.

The “Fiori di pesco” is one of the many cooperative which is formed ad hoc for the reconversion of tourist or hotel establishments in reception centers, like the four-star hotel Conte Ruggero II. According to many citizens and the local press, in the administration of this cooperative would directly or indirectly participate different people who manage other reception centers in the Province.

A week of protests in the Province of Caltanissetta

It has been a week of intense protests in several reception centres in the province of Caltanissetta. On January 13, about fifty residents of the CAS* which is located inside the Public Institute for Assistance and Charity of Pagano (where about 150 asylum seekers are living at the moment) protested against the intolerably long waiting time for being convoked by the local commission for the recognition of international protection. In order to gain visibility for their protests and for obtaining an answer, they put their mattresses outside the centre and began a hunger strike. The asylum seekers in question are of Pakistani origins who arrived at the centre last March – it has been since then that they are waiting for the convening of the hearing by the local commission.

Migrants in the area of ​​Catania treated like "hostages": "We are prisoners treated like animals"

We post the video of the daily newspaper "La Repubblica" showing the testimony of a group of asylum seekers who are housed in a SPRAR of Grammichele. The serious facts arraigned in this video confirm the criticisms that have been collected by our staff in the past few days. "They call us disgusting nigger and when they give us something to eat, they tell us that we are animals". For eleven months, there are about 20 migrants in isolation in SPRAR of Grammichele managed by the Association San Francesco 4th October. They wait for their asylum application to be examined by the competent Commission. Following a tip from Borderline Sicilia, "La Repubblica" went into the camp in which the migrants have no water for four days. "We are dirty and have to wash ourselves." Among the migrants housing in the facility, there are also young men in need for medical care. "There has never been a doctor in here and we have no money to buy medicine. We are afraid. We live in a prison. "(video by Allessandro Puglia)