Contrada Pian del Lago in Caltanissetta: camps in 2015

Measurements of eviction and fences are not enough to solve the problem of hundreds of asylum seekers forced to wait up to four weeks before they can apply for international protection. After the removal of spontaneously made up camps last year, hundreds of asylum seekers who arrived in the city have for months stayed in houses provided by speculators, paying up to 100 euro just for a mattress on the floor. These alternative accommodations to the camps have given less visibility to this phenomena but the problem of asylum seekers, being forced to wait to be identified in order to receive accommodation has never been solved.

Elderly Asylum Seekers kept waiting outside CARA Pian del Lago for 24 hours

Last Wednesday we published the relative information regarding the transfer of 60 migrants, who had arrived in Palermo on the 14th of April, and were transferred that very morning to the CARA* of Pian del Lago. The centre was suddenly able to provide dozens of places, even though there was a list of Asylum Seekers that had been waiting for a place for weeks.

In particular, we told about the situation of an elderly couple who, along with their sons, were waiting for a week to be accepted and, after being summoned by the Police Headquarters for an appointment at 3 pm. were still waiting at the entrance at 8 pm.

Activation of self-management at Pian del Lago

The immigrants are getting organised inorder to alleviate the long waiting times in front of the Office for Foreigners, which has been transferred to within the Centre.
From Corriereimmigrazione.it - the site of the three-in-one Centre of Pian del Lago (which includes an Immigrant Detention Centre (CIE), a Reception Centre (CDA) and a Hosting Centre for Asylum Seekers(CARA)) is so perfectly suited to that of a ghetto. It is at least an hour's walk away from the nearest inhabited centre and any commercial activities. In the last couple of years even the Immigration Offices usually found in the Police Headquarters have been transferred to the Centre. This has caused many problems especially for the foreigners who have been granted the right to stay in Italy as the entrance to the building gets completely blocked on the days when the Office is open. In the handling of the various procedures to renew permits of stay, issue the numerous types of documentation and the many other types of paperwork that are required, the migrants must go back and forth to the nearest town in order to pay the necessary stamp duty and get photographs done etc. And this is obviously the case regardless of the scorching sun in summer and the cold winter rains. 

LasciateCIEntrare- Migrants sleeping in front of the CARA (Hosting Centre for Asylum Seekers)

Caltanissetta, 27th April 2012
We arrive around 15:30 and meet about 25 refugees in front of the gates 

of Pian del Lago, Caltanissetta's poli- functional Centre: CIE - an immigration Detention Centre which since the end of March has reopened with 96 places, CARA (Hosting Centre for Asylum Seekers) and CDA (Reception Centre) which together have 450 places- the management tells us there are currently 442 people staying there... 

We can speak to those who are outside, then they let us into the CARA as representatives of ASGI, Lo Sportello per Immigrati di Caltanissetta and Borderline Sicilia/ Borderline Europe.