- Title: ITALY: FEATURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
- Date: 6th March 1996
- Summary: AT SEA, LAMPEDUSA ISLAND AND ROME, ITALY (RECENT) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) LAMPEDUSA ISLAND 1. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER ARREST AT SEA 2. ITALIAN CUSTOMS LAUNCH WITH BOAT CARRYING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 3. CUSTOMS HELICOPTER LAMPEDUSA ISLAND 4. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEING SEARCHED 5. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER ARR
- Embargoed: 21st March 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LAMPEDUSA AND ROME, ITALY
- City:
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA5WPDZBL6JU34SRK19HYMXDAIF
- Story Text: INTRO: As rioting highlights the economic crisis in Albania, many of its people have chosen another route to escape the suffering. Fleeing to Italy on small boats, they risk arrest as illegal immigrants. Now Italy's European neighbours want Rome to tighten laws they claim encourage the "illegals."Reuters Television's Royston Martin reports.
------------------------------------------------------------ THEY MIGHT NOT FEEL LUCKY BUT FOR THESE 100 OR SO WOULD-BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAPTURE BY THE ITALIAN CUSTOMS MEN WAS ABOUT THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHEN THEIR BOAT TOOK ON WATER A DISTRESS SIGNAL WENT UP AND THE ITALIAN COAST GUARD WAS ABLE TO RESCUE THEM.
COUNTLESS OTHERS HAVE NOT FARED SO WELL.
DRIVEN FROM THEIR OWN COUNTRIES BY WAR, POVERTY OR PERSECUTION; AND TOLD ITALY'S VAST COASTLINE IS AN OPEN DOOR TO THE WEST; SOME PAY A LIFE'S SAVINGS FOR A PASSAGE IN A FLIMSY BOAT FROM ALBANIA, TUNISIA OR ALGERIA TO CROSS WHAT'S CALLED THE MOAT INTO FORTRESS EUROPE.
ITALY'S GUARDIA DI FINAZIA HAVE THE THANKLESS TASK OF KEEPING THE SO CALLED ILLEGALS OUT AND AT THE SAME TIME MAKING SURE THAT NOONE DIES IN THEIR ATTEMPT TO GET IN.
LEIUTENANT PIETRO SPANA HEADS UP THE GUARDIA'S TEAM STATIONED ON ITALY'S MOST SOUTHERN OUTCROP, THE TINY ISLAND OF LAMPEDUSA FOR YEARS USED AS A BACK DOOR TO EUROPE.
WITH 3 BOATS AND A HELICOPTER HIS MEN CHECK SUSPECT VESSELS FOR UNAUTHORISED HUMAN CARGO.
---------------------- CAPTION: LIEUTENANT PIETRO SPANA, GUARDIA DI FINAZIA "THERE ARE 2 CASES, OUTSIDE TERRITORIAL WATER WE TRY TO REPEL THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, IF THEY GET THROUGH THERE IS A FERRY THAT TAKES THEM TO AGRIGENTO WHERE THEY ARE ISSUED WITH A FOGLIO DI VIA, AN ORDER TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY IN 15 DAYS." (ITALIAN) ---------------------- LAST YEAR ARTON WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES WHO MADE IT TO ITALY. HE FOUND REFUGE AMONG ROME'S ST EGIDIO COMMUNITY. HE PAID 700 POUNDS FOR A TERRIFYING NIGHT CROSSING IN A SMALL DINGHY FROM ALBANIA.
--------------- CAPTION: ARTON, ILLEGAL ALBANIAN IMMIGRANT AT A CERTAIN POINT WE WERE HALFWAY AND WE COULDN'T DECIDE WHETHER TO RETURN TO ALBANIA OR COME HERE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GO BACK AND AHEAD THE SEA WAS VERY ROUGH. WITH COURAGE WE MADE IT. (ITALIAN) ----------------- HE LEFT A COUNTRY NOW WITNESSING THE RESULTS OF ECONOMIC INJUSTICE.
FOR MANY LIKE ARTON THE WEALTH AND SECURITY OF COUNTRIES LIKE ITALY SEEN ALMOST IRRESISTABLE ----------------- CAPTION: ARTON I STUDIED 16 YEARS IN SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY. I GRADUATED AND FOUND WORK, BUT I COULDN'T HAVE STAYED THERE BECAUSE I WOULD NEVER HAVE GOT ON (ITALIAN) ------------------ ONCE ON ITALIAN SOIL IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE RISKS ARE ALMOST WORTHWILE. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE GIVEN 15 DAYS TO LEAVE, MANY HEAD NORTH TO FRANCE OR GERMANY, OTHERS SIMPLY MERGE INTO ITALY ITSELF.
PERHAPS THIS IS NOT A SURPRISING SYSTEM IN A COUNTRY THAT AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY SAW MILLIONS OF IT'S OWN PEOPLE MIGRATE IN SEARCH OF BETTER LIVES ABROAD. ONLY TO RETURN WITH WEALTH TO BUILD A NEW NATION.
BUT IN ITALY TODAY OPINIONS ARE MIXED ---------------- VOX POPS: WE SHOULD SEND THEM STRAIGHT BACK TO TUNISIA, THERE'S NOT EVEN ENOUGH JOBS HERE FOR US.
THEY'RE DESPERATE, THEY AREN'T COMING FOR FUN, THAT'S FOR SURE. ITS SAD.
---------------- ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS BIG BUSINESS, IN ITALY ALONE THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED HALF A MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT OFFICIAL PAPERS AND MOST WILL HAVE PAID MONEY TO UNSCRUPULOUS AGENTS WHO WOULD HAVE OFFERED THE PROMISED LAND AND PROVIDED SOMETHING LESS.
---------------- REPORTER STANDUP: THE SMUGGLERS OFTEN GO FURTHER THAN MERE DUPLICITY, THE CRIMINAL GANGS WHO CONTROL THE RACKETS EXPLOIT THE IMMIGRANTS WHO CAN'T TURN TO THE AUTHORITIES FOR PROTECTION. THOSE UNLUCKY TO FALL INTO THE TRAP ARE COERCED INTO A LIFE OF DEPENDENCY TO PAY THIER NEW MASTERS BACK.
-------------- UNPAID PROSTITUTION, STREET BEGGING AND SMALL TIME DRUG DEALING ARE TYPICAL OCCUPATIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TRAPPED AT THE BOTTOM OF SOCIETY.
FOR THOSE WHO CAN MAKE THEIR OWN LIVING THINGS ARE A LITTLE BETTER.
INDEED, MANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HEAD NORTH TO FRANCE OR GERMANY WHERE THEY HOPE LIFE WILL BE EASIER.
AND THIS ANGERS ITALY'S EUROPEAN PARTNERS.
THE GUADIA DI FINAZIA HAS UNDOUBTEDLY STEPPED UP ITS EFFORTS TO KEEP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OUT, BUT THE VAST COATLINE IS LIKE AN OPEN DOOR THAT'S PROVING EXPENSIVE TO SHUT.
WHILE GERMANY AND FRANCE ARGUE THAT THE 15 DAY TRANSIT LAW FOR THOSE WHO ARE CAUGHT IS HARDLY A DETTERENT TO WOULD BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, ITALY LIKE MOST OF IT'S EUROPEAN PARTNERS IS NOT KEEN ON FORCEABLE DEPORTATION.
AND SOME ARGUE THAT TAX PAYERS MONEY WOULD BE BETTER SPENT PERSUING POLICIES OF INTEGRATION AND PLANNED IMMIGRATION RATHER THAN THE POLICIES OF EXCLUSION.
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