The institutions are destroying all proof of their slavery and are planning the deportation of more than 1,500 immigrants.
EveryOne
Group: “They have fled from countries with humanitarian crises underway
and fallen into the hands of the Mafia here in Italy, like thousands of
other refugees”. They must be offered protection and the hope of a
dignified future. At midday on January 11th, 2009 the Italian
Government began the deportations by emptying the Crotone centre.
About
1,500 immigrants (with more on the way) *, have been arrested and sent
to the Bari and Crotone centres, some in possession of residence
permits or political asylum (6 or 7% of the total), many others are
“clandestini” (“illegal”) though originating from countries where
humanitarian crises are underway: 94%of them are from sub-Saharian
countries, all of them young (87% of them are under 30). 90% of them
have entered Italy illegally. None of them has a regular work permit,
They are all kept in a state of slavery, working for a notorious Mafia
family that dictates law in Rosario.
They
work from 12-14 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. Their
basic wage is 2 euros a hour. Basic because out of this money they have
to pay for their meals (onion soup with bread) and living quarters
(squalid unhealthy huts, with 4-5 beds in them).
Despite
these huts being evidence of the immigrants’ persecution, the
authorities have thought fit to immediately bulldoze them and destroy
all the evidence. EveryOne Group is convinced that in the case of
Rosario there is a precise xenophobic strategy and policy by the
Italian Government being led by the anti-immigrant and anti-European
party, the Northern League, which has a total of four ministers in the
government, including the important role of Interior Minister.
EveryOne
believes the destruction of the proof of the conditions of slavery and
abuse (a situation the authorities were well aware of, and tolerated),
the arrest of over 1,500 immigrants and the plan to deport them
(avoiding the control of the UN High Commissioner) to their countries
of origin, is an attempt to cancel all trace of the serious violations
being carried out by the ‘Ndrangehta’s illegal hiring of farm labourers
for very low wages through an agent (and by the Italian authorities and
institutions themselves, who right from the start tried to pass
responsibility for the protests to the migrants in order to avoid
raising the greater problem of organized crime).
We believe the
immigrants arrested and sent to Crotone, Capo Rizzuto, Bari and other
centres must be heard by the High Commissioner and offered protection,
for two reasons: one because they have fled from countries with
humanitarian disasters, and two, because they have been the victims of
slavery and serious abuse on Italian territory, where they have fallen
into the hands of the Calabrian Mafia - despite the institutions and
authorities on all levels being perfectly aware of what was happening
in Rosario. This can be seen from the revolt (described as an
“anti-mafia” revolt by the Italian press) which took place over a year
ago**.
In the South of Italy, but also in central and northern
Italy, immigrants without residence permits fall into the hands of the
various Mafias (‘Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra and the Camorra). If last year
the conditions of slavery were serious (as seen in numerous cases, like
the tragic incidents in Castelvolurno***), now, after the approval of
racial law 94/2009****, known as the “security package” (the subject of
many reports and appeals made by our group to every national and
international court due to its antidemocratic, racist and inhumane
contents) the situation has now become dramatic.
This
is because the “clandestini” are no longer able to settle their
position by finding jobs and homes, and they are forced to survive
using all means possible. Many of them are entitled to political asylum
or international protection seeing they have fled from countries where
humanitarian tragedies are underway.
* A summary of recent events: http://ilquotidianodellacalabria.ilsole ... _4587.html" href="http://ilquotidianodellacalabria.ilsole ... _4587.html" onkeypress="window.open(this.href); return false;">
http://ilquotidianodellacalabria.ilsole ... p#/p#ed_cl#
** The protests of the Africans against the Mafia in 2008: http://www.carta.org/campagne/migranti/16189" href="http://www.carta.org/campagne/migranti/16189" onkeypress="window.open(this.href); return false;">
http://www.carta.org/#
*** The Castelvolturno case: http://www.carta.org/campagne/migranti/15053" href="http://www.carta.org/campagne/migranti/15053" onkeypress="window.open(this.href); return false;">
http://www.carta.org/#
**** http://www.everyonegroup.com/EveryOne/M ... ights.html" href="http://www.everyonegroup.com/EveryOne/M ... ights.html" onkeypress="window.open(this.href); return false;">
http://www.everyonegroup.com/#
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