When there are episodes of revolts and violence in the centers where immigrants are hosted, the immediate reaction of many of us can be summarized with this sentence: “we host them, we offer them a bed, and see what they do?” What only few people think is that there might be a reason for it.

Unfortunately, there is more than one. We have already talked about the situation of CIE, very ineffective and inhuman institutions. But these are not the only places where people are kept in unthinkable conditions. In fact, there are many other centers that are contracted to private cooperatives or organizations, which don’t work well. Often they take in more people than they are supposed to and they are obliged to sleep hundreds in one room, sometimes they lack food, facilities (such as water) and clothes. Of course people complain. They complain, but they aren’t listened to.

Cona, Vicenza and Verona

The public finally took interest in the issue of immigrants’ living conditions only after the episode in Cona, where a young woman lost her life in one of these centers, resulting in a general revolt. In Vicenza, some asylum seekers peacefully protested in front of a police station and managed to meet the deputy chief to report to him about their living conditions. In Verona, the quality of the food led to a revolt in a hostel, which lasted until the afternoon of the following day.

In all these cases, the police forces were able to intervene and restore order without the use of force, and this is very laudable.

Big numbers vs. widespread reception

Picking up the idea of Oliviero Forti, the immigration expect at Caritas, the best way to host migrants is not in big camps, but in smaller facilities in order to give them a place that would make their lives more similar to "normal."

We hope that this path will be pursued, keeping in mind all the safeguards that need to be in place to avoid abuses and that the idea of opening new CIE won’t be put into practice.