- New tragedies in the Mediterranean
- Eternal reception “Chaos”
- More Nigerian Citizen expulsions
- Racism and xenophobia watchdog: grave episodes at Siracusa
- Forthcoming events: “IO STO CON LA SPOSA”
NEW TRAGEDIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
During the past month, two new tragedies
have occured in the Mediterranean. On the May16, a vessel was shipwrecked off
the coast of Garabulli (50 km east of Tripoli) causing
the death of 36 migrants, according to a statement issued by the Libyan
authorities.
A few days later, on May 12, approximately 70 miles off the coast of Libya, another shipwreck occured in which 12
women, 3 men and 2 children lost their lives
The 206 survivors were taken to the port
of Catania by the frigate Grecale which
has been engaged in Operation Mare Nostrum
together with the remains of the victims, who
were finally buried after two weeks at the municipal cemetry
while those whose numbers remain still
uncounted lie scattered at the bottom of the sea. Much obscurity also surrounds
the cause of the shipwreck and its handling regarding the response and rescue
time. What is certain is the failure by Libyan naval vessels to intervene until
the last minute in an area covered by Operation Mare Nostrum, which has recently
withdrawn north towards Lampedusa
ETERNAL
RECEPTION “CHAOS”
The monitoring
of conditions within various reception centres in Sicily
made up of government run
(CPSA-CARA-CIE), emergency reception centres (CAS), informal emergency centres
(camps-schools-sports halls-hotels-farmhouses), clearly demonstrates how the
emergency is made legitimate by a “reception
system” which is in reality a mishmash of structures whose main function is limited
to providing food and shelter to the migrants.
At Palanebiolo in Messina, besides the camp set
up on the baseball pitch, the city sports hall has once again been put into use
despite being specifically prohibited,
The Pian del Lago CARA at Caltanissetta is terminally
overcrowded, suffering from huge structural deficiencies, with services originally
stipulated in the contract tender either inadequate or inexistent
Reception facilities in the Caltanisetta
Province is not only confined to Pian del Lago, in fact, there are an
additional two emargency reception centres (CAS)
At Comiso the former Don Pietro company, situated
in the middle of the countryside, has become a veritable “branch” of the
Pozzallo CPSA
Also at Trapani chaos rules supreme in the management of the centres, such as the
former agritourism farm Sicilia Uno, which serves as both a CAS and a SPRAR,
and in the (dis)organization of the transfer
of asylum seekers in the many facilities throughout the whole province
The disorganization is also evident in those in Siracusa. At Augusta hundreds
of unaccompanied foreign minors have been accommodated for a long time in a former
school. The situation has reached the point that in an attempt to find a
solution the local Siracusa authorities have moved 250 minors to a villa in
Caltagirone without giving any prior notification to Catania and Caltagirone
governing bodies
The issue of reception of non-accompanied
foreign minors is far from anything new. The chronic shortage of available
places within designated facilities in Sicily together with the slow and
inefficient transfer process creates situations that are totally unacceptable, as
in the case of the the unaccompanied foreign minors who were held for months at
the Pozzallo CPSA
That being said, there are, however, a few rare examples of
efficiency, not surprisingly the SPRAR facilities such as “I girasoli” the
community for minors at Mazzarino
MORE
NIGERIAN CITIZEN EXPULSIONS
Regarding the group of young Nigerians whose
cases were rejected by Ragusa authorities last February
they are again caught up in a dramatic situation
adding to the story of 36 Nigerian citizens expelled
by Agrigento authorities and transferred to the CIE, thus impedeing their
access to international protection
RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA WATCHDOG: GRAVE EPISODES AT SIRACUSA
The heavy atmosphere hanging over the “immigration
question” within the country, further aggravated by European election campaigns,
has provided fertile ground for the propogation of unjustified health alarms
and fascist intimidation such as the vile “attacchinaggio”
a Siracusa firmato Forza Nuova
FORTHCOMING EVENTS: “IO STO CON LA
SPOSA”
Raise more than 34.000 euro in 15 days. Aim:
inclusion in the Venice Festival and projection in the autumn. The greatest
crowdfunding campaign in the history of Italian documentary film for what has
been hailed as the most anticipated documantary
film of the year.
“A documentary film that is also a
political action, a story that is real
but also fantastic. "Io sto con la sposa" is all of these things put
together.”
