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)
Scenes from the video of A. Puglia, summary of the interview:
Scene 1: General criticism of the inhabitants of SPRAR
In a lounge, several Africans on camera
– Migrants: “Prison, Prison. It’s like being in prison in here.”
– “It’s bad for us, bad words.”
Reporter: “What is she saying?”
Migrants: “They call us animals, nasty black; everyone’s have enough of it. It is not good. She is not a good woman. She has no interest in us. She is only interested in our money; only her money. She does not like us.”
“It’s enough.”
“She says: ‘I will destroy you. I’m going to destroy you people’, says the woman. What does that mean “destroy”?”
We asked, “Why do you work for us if you have no interest in us?”
Scene 2: In the Bathroom / Sanitary Conditions
– Migrants lead the reporter to the bathroom. They are pointing: No soap, no water, neither from the tap over the sink nor from the shower.
Scene 3: No communication to the outside and with each other: No visit/some are working
– A migrant is complaining, “They allow no one to come here and listen to our problems. Since we are here, you’re the second person who visits us.”
Scene 4: Different treatment with regard to working
– A migrant is complaining, “We are not the same; some people have an employment contract and get paid. Only two people work and at the end of the month they give them money. When I tell them that I want to work, they tell me that they call the police.”
Scene 5: Medical treatment
– “If someone is sick, they do not take him to the hospital. I have no medication; one has eye problems. He bought his medicine with his pocket money. For two months, I ask the woman to buy me medicine but she says they have no money. But where can I find money to buy medicine?”
– “I have stopped taking these medications. I said that they are not good for me. I explained it to Veronika and she told me, ‘I do not have time to take care of such things.’”
Scene 6: Hidden control from outside
– A migrant goes outside with the reporter
“Do you see that house over there? There, they hid themselves three times. There, people have come to check; she doesn’t want people to come and see what’s going on here. We said, ‘Why?’ She says, ‘No, if you do not go, I’ll call the police.'”
Abstract of the video by Rainer Grüber
Translation by Aylin
Satmaz
