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

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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