Every Friday morning, the parking area opposite the church of St. Anthony of Gianchette, a few blocks away from the seafront and from the centre of Ventimiglia, is filled with cars bearing French licence-plates. They belong to the inhabitants of Menton and of other towns on the French Riviera who cross the border to do their purchases. In the same parking lot we met two youths from Côte d’Ivoire who reached Ventimiglia with the intention of crossing the border. “Do you know where we can find pathways for France?” they asked in the hope of gathering information. “We have friends who are waiting for us in a village in the Roia Valley – they said – but we don’t know how to catch up with them.”
A few meters away, under the viaduct leading to the highway and along the riverbank of the Roia river, some 250 migrants live in a makeshift encampment lacking all forms of assistance. Two years after the reintroduction of controls at the French border (June 11 2015), the situation in the city of the Liguria region is increasingly critical. “It’s the third summer; compared to the same period last year, there are twice as many migrants – said the director of Caritas Ventimiglia-Sanremo, Maurizio Marmo -. This means that we are not learning from our mistakes. The situation grew worse in January with the partial closure of the Red Cross refugee camp and the Roia Park. Extension works are under way, but we don’t know when it will be completed.”
The camp set up last summer on a decision of the Prefecture to face the emergency situation hosts some 280 migrants, while approximately 100 people – most of whom are women, children and families – are housed in Saint Anthony’s church at Gianchette. According to data collected by the parish priest, Fr Rito Alvarez, some 20 thousand people with 82 different nationalities have been hosted in the structure since it opened on May 31 2016.
“This reception effort was made possible thanks to the generous contribution of many people, despite the lack of public funding”, the priest pointed out.
Despite the efforts, St. Anthony’s church is unable to meet the needs of hundreds of people without shelter and the constant arrival of new migrants who continue camping out along the riverbank. Among them was also Alfatehe Ahmed Bachire, the 17-year-old youth from Sudan who drowned past June 13.
The living conditions along the riverbank are extremely difficult. “We need everything – Marmo said – from drinking water to sanitation. We have been repeating it for weeks, but the situation grows worse instead of improving.” Volunteer workers and associations are striving to mend this situation:
Caritas provides lunch with up to 250 meals a day, while some French groups arrive every evening to bring the dinner.
We visited the encampment with Daniela Zitarosa, a worker of Intersos, an NGO for healthcare service. Under the overpass there are hundreds of makeshift beds consisting of cardboard and blankets, while small encampments are seen among the bushes surrounding the large river bed. We met some youths resting after the failed, umpteenth attempt to cross the border. “There are few people today – Zitarosa said – because many migrants hide on train wagons taking advantage of the confusion of the open market. However, ultimately most of them will be being set back.”
There are also many children among the encamped migrants:
Caritas identified as many as 711 youths aged 11-18 in the month of May alone,
But for them in the city there is no other shelter except for the 50 beds offered by St.Anthony’s church.
“In the face of this situation, ongoing for years – said Fr Alvarez – we call upon authorities to adopt a long-term vision.” The bishop of Ventimiglia-Sanremo, Mons. Antonio Suetta, said that in a meeting between the Prefect of Imperia and the mayor of Ventimiglia public Institutions promised that the camp for transit migrants would be rapidly enlarged to home to all those without shelter.
Fortunately the relentless arrival of volunteer workers follows the same pace of the inflow of migrants. Volunteer workers from various parts of Italy, Spain, England, Ireland and France will be arriving in St. Anthony’s church next July and August.
A delegation from the French diocese of Viviers led by the same bishop is expected to arrive July 15-30.
“The bishop will be arriving with some volunteers to share the experience of reception – said Don Alvarez -. A beautiful sign of closeness and support.” Msgr. Suetta appealed to everyone – public institutions and citizens alike:
“Over the past years Ventimiglia has been a rare example of reception and hospitality, but in the face of the difficulties of these people who have nothing I wonder if we couldn’t endure a little bit more.”
