Migrants. A Clear Way Ahead For The Minniti-Orlando Decree: The Central Points

From Redattoresociale.it

The government has put its faith in the Senate. The Ministry of the Interior's end goal is to speed up the whole process and to ensure the regulation of the migrant reception system. But the polemics have already begun: from the Community of Sant'Egidio all the way to ARCI, everyone opposes the decree. Gianfranco Schiavone (ASGI): “A manifesto made up of laws, without reasons for their necessity or urgency.”

Borders, Reception and Rights in Sicily and Europe: Workers, Legal Experts and Researchers in Conversation

Tuesday July 5^th 2016, University of Palermo, Via Maqueda 172, 90134 Palermo.

A day of work and dialogue proposed within the remit of the “EVI-MED” international research project, conducted by Middlesex University London in collaboration with Borderline Sicily and the University of Palermo.

The event is open to everyone, but online registration is requested, which can be carried out here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/biglietti-frontiere-accoglienza-e-diritti-in-sicilia-e-in-europa-26075000027. 

(all the registered participants will receive a voucher for lunch at “Moltivolti”).

Alagie’s story, one out of many rejected minors

At the beginning of January, the immigration office of Caltanissetta informed us about the case of a foreign and unaccompanied minor who, after having received a decree of removal, left Sicily and was living in the streets.

Borderline Sicilia visits the hotspot of Pozzallo

On January 25th, with prior approval, we visited the hotspot of Pozzallo guided by a representative of the prefecture of Ragusa. Once entered through the gate of the facility, we stopped at the mobile police station situated at the entrance for ID control and the notification regarding the requirements for visitors. The Minutes specify that the non-identification of single persons has to be guaranteed and the “eventual interviews of adult residents or employees of the facility management have to be conducted with prior information sharing regarding the goal of said interviews, and the persons need to give their free and informed consent “.

New disembarkings and hundreds of rejections at Pozzallo and Lampedusa

When we visited the Hotspot at Pozzallo a few days ago, we asked repeatedly for clarification regarding the procedure for separating “economic” migrants from those seeking international protection. The officials at the Prefecture told us how, once the disembarking operation has come to an end, the refugees are transferred by bus to the centre situated a few hundred metres away, and allowed into a building through a side entrance which leads directly from the port; here there is the initial health screening, immediately followed by 'pre-identification', including the filling out of the so-called “notification paper” which inquires into the migrant's reasons for having fled from their country.

How hotspots delete the right of asylum

Alioscia Castronovo – Dinamopress – Violation of human rights, de facto undermining the right of asylum and unlawful rejections: In the course of the following interview, the lawyer Paola Ottaviano from Borderline Sicilia denounces the procedure at the hotspots.

Let’s reject everyone or even better, let's not!

 “If we hadn't seen it with our own eyes, it would have been difficult to believe what Italy is doing. We are producing “illegal immigrants”, and entirely consciously. A human being, one who has just arrived after a journey across the desert, Libya and the sea, has been rejected with a piece of paper whose meaning he doesn’t even understand, but which actually condemns him to irregularity since the moment of his entering the country. This is an individual who has been deprived of every possibility of a real life. Italy is following “orders” coming from Europe and doesn’t realize that the only way to move beyond this, for their sake and for its own, is to give them leave to remain, a travel document, and to let these people enter Europe with their heads held high. We should drape them in legality! Instead of throwing them onto the streets, as they've been doing around here for some months now.”

Hotspot and deferred refusals: the Lampedusa-model

In Agrigento, the situation regarding “refoulement” and expulsion of asylum seekers is getting worryingly high. Since September, the Agrigento Police Station (Questura) has been issuing deferred decisions on refusal of entry towards migrants coming from Gambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.

The reasons are different. Generally, as confirmed by the vice Prefect in a meeting held in Agrigento on December, 3rd, the migrants who are not part of the reception system because of lack of capacity in accommodation centres, have been rejected without getting any information regarding the procedures for the recognition of international protection. Moreover, the deferred refusals are systematically notified to citizens coming from North African countries. 

The truth about the Hotspot policy – violations and illegal actions on Lampedusa island

In the last couple of weeks, dozens of people coming from Mali, Gambia, Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea and Nigeria, have arrived in Palermo as well as in Catania and other Sicilian cities. In their hands a decree of deportation, which orders them to leave Italy within seven days via Rome Fiumincino airport. All these people first arrived in Lampedusa, where they have been brought after having been intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Those migrants were not given the right to ask for international protection, although they have been in contact with the UNHCR. 

The Right of Asylum becomes a Utopia

In the last few weeks, while the news in the newspapers has focussed on other events, Italy has continued to deny young migrants a future and a hope: those running from the hands of terrorists, from “democratic” bombs, from multinationals, from slavery, from the desert and the sea, are ending up under a bridge or in a doorway.

The hope of which we speak is called international protection, which today seems little more than a utopia – both for those who have been in Italy for some time, and those who have arrived in recent days. In the midst of almost total silence, the Italian government has signed or revived agreements with various African nations (Tunisia, Egypt, Nigeria, Gambia), covered by large sums of money, both to impede departures headed for Europe and to promptly repatriate those who are not stopped by the desert, the traffickers or the sea.

Meeting between associations and institutions in Catania on the issue of refoulement

In front of the repeating practice of deferred refoulement that has occurred in several provinces of Sicily since the end of September, the association Borderline Sicilia became the spokesperson for numerous associations from Catania and asked for a meeting with the prefect and the superintendent in order to obtain explanations on what is happening.

Present at the meeting that has been held yesterday were representatives of the associations Borderline Sicilia, Rete Antirazzista Catanese, Centro Astalli,

Arci Catania, Asgi sez. Sicilia, Arci Catania, Catania bene comune, as well as the deputy-prefect responsible for immigration, the responsible of the prefecture for disembarkations, and the chief of the Office for Immigration of the Police.

Migrants turned away from Catania and Syracuse

On 30 September 2015 between 10-11am, a boat arrived in the port of Catania. It had aboard 234 migrants, who had been put together from two separate rescues: one boat with 124 people; one with 110 people. This information was gathered from the few migrants who stayed in Catania. The majority of the group were transported out of the city on four coaches. They also said that waiting for them at the port on their arrival, in addition to the police were, members of other organisations including: UNHCR, the Civil Protection, Save the Children and OIM*. Some of those aboard were in need of medical treatment and were hospitalised. In addition to the adults, some children were also among those who arrived.

On 24th August, the delegation of LasciateCIEntrare visited the CARA* of Mineo

Along the access road to the centre are many dilapidated houses in the fields. For some time, it has been witnessed that there are often women from Nigeria living in the centre prostituting themselves.

We meet young people on bicycles or walking; they are going to the surrounding villages, which are far from the centre. The reception centre of Mineo is visible from afar. From the outside it looks like an urban suburb district with its multi-coloured two-storied single-family homes; the same as those in the Sigonella military base for American officers. Everything is fenced, but, already visible from the outside, we discover some "Villette-Bazaars". Within the centre, a few migrants run real shops with clothes and food. (It would have been desirable to check how the distribution of rooms and houses is handled, because all the houses are used apparently as minimarkets, but we didn’t get the permission). This actuates an underground economy: for some it means debt, for others enrichment.

In search of a safe place

The last few days have shown a continuous appearance of proposals and contra proposals by Italian politicians and European institutions for the management of border controls and sea rescue. To the eulogies for the operation Mare Nostrum, holt recently by the chief prosecutor of Catania, Giovanni Salvi, concur the proposals presented by Alfano to the European Union, based on the agreements with Tunisia and Egypt for coastal patrols and the creation of at least three refugee camps in African countries considered to be safe.

The limbo of migrant minors: a story of six asylum seekers moved around Italy

As described in an article published the 19th September on the website “Argo”, once more unaccompanied foreigner minors pay the price of missed protection and rights violation. The 16th of September at 8 pm, the centre “Don Pino Puglisi” opened its doors to six asylum seekers between 16 and 17 years old. Out of those six, five come from Mali and one from Gambia. The centre, which is managed by the centre Astalli and that has been sporadically employed to receive vulnerable migrants, accepted the minors upon the request of Catania Prefecture. The boys arrived four months ago to Catania, where they stayed a few days before being moved in two different foster homes, managed by the same association. Four boys were housed in Casale Litta, in Varese District, and two in Benevento. In these two communities the boys started an educational path. Additionally, their dossiers for the acknowledgement of political asylum had been started. Then, something went wrong.

After landing: Staying in Italy between time-consuming beurocracy transfers

By now we read daily news about the landing of immigrants on the Sicilian shores and elsewhere. These episodes must be accurately monitored and analysed. Above all they must be considered as an example of what happened before and what happens after the media spotlight turns off. Following immigrants pathways once they land is not easy, even those who apply for international protection and are therefore included in the reception and protection system.
The ongoing state of emergency engenders instability in immigrants placement and is characterized by frequent transfers. These transfers are decided depending on necessities other than speeding up the immigrant’s asylum request process or the integration in our country. Despite their continuous transfers, immigrants are sometime able to establish relationships with the locals: they leave phone numbers;  they build small but resistant networks depending on their luck and possibilities.

Visit to the Centre for Extraordinary Reception located between Mazara del Vallo and Campobello di Mazara

At the end of August, we visited the Centre for Extraordinary Reception (CAS) located between Mazara del Vallo and Campobello di Mazara, close to Capo Granitola.
This centre started operating last March, in a rural agritourism. It is currently being managed by the cooperative “La Mimosa”, and at the time of our visit hosted 41 asylum seekers, including 3 family units.
The first visible difficulty lies in the centre’s isolated location: it is 10 km from Campobello, and 15 km from Mazara del Vallo, therefore relegating its guests to a spatial and social emargination, due to the complete lack of public transportation and of private shuttles managed by the host organisation.

35 migrants arrive in Syracuse

Up until now, few, in fact none, had arrived, but yesterday Syrian migrants reached Sicilian shores. An article from blogsicilia:
Thirty five migrants arrived on the coast at Fontane Bianche, on the outskirts of Syracuse, this morning aboard a 20 metre vessel. The migrants were intercepted by Syracuse's Public Prosecutor's Interforze group soon after getting off the boat.

Salina Grande - report 15/09/2012

Returning to Salina Grande after a couple of months away, it is immediately possible to notice that the atmosphere is much more tense than when were last here in June. In addition to the standard Carabinieri van, there are also a variety of military vehicles and one belonging to the Finance Police, all within the grounds of the structure. Police and soldiers can regularly be seen crossing the courtyard. It's not difficult to realise that the distressing atmosphere within the CARA (Hosting Centre for Asylum Seekers) is due to the heavy police and military presence, rather than the end of summer showers.

A Sicilian Diary of Nina Perkowski - Chapter One: Arrivata.

Nina Perkowski came to Sicily to research the living situation of immigrants from Africa in Sicily for her PhD. For borderline-europe, she reported the situation in Cassibile and Mineo, where there is a collective home for asylum seekers. Within ten chapters Nina wrote down her experiences and her monitorings.