Italians throw party to welcome migrants in Milan, with brass band and pasta
More than 1,000 Italians on Tuesday threw a block party featuring a pasta lunch, a brass band and crafts to welcome some 80 migrants to the neighbourhood in Milan, contrasting with rising anti-migrant tensions throughout the country including a protest at the barracks the night before.
Shouts of welcome went up as a small contingent of about 30 migrants came out of a recently repurposed army barracks for what was billed as the first welcome party of its kind in Italy.
“I feel happy,” said 22-year-old Zakaria Abdellahi from Ethiopia, who arrived in Italy three months ago with his wife. “I feel like I am famous. Everywhere I look, they are taking pictures. I think I am Obama.”
It was the third such protest in recent days, with anti-migrant campaigners pledging more. Tensions over migrants have been rising in Italy amid persistent arrivals creating a crunch in the housing system in the months since Rome has stepped up its border controls under pressure from European neighbors.
“It is very important that we meet each other and try to face the future in a different way. This is one reason for this event. The other is that politicians are trying to use the migrant issue to get votes,” said Selana Tesfai, a founder of the Zone 8 Solitary Committee.
Migrant arrivals in Italy have topped 153,000 in the first 10 months of the year, close to that of all of last year although still shy of the record 170,000 in 2014. But with fewer heading north, Italy has had to come up with more migrant housing and aid - and more often has met local resistance.
Last week, dozens of residents of the small Adriatic clamming town of Goro blocked a road to prevent a dozen female migrants from being housed in the local hostel. The act was widely condemned, but received support from right-wing politicians.
“In these months we have seen many small manifestations against (migrants) in northern Italy, even in Milan,” Majorino said. “This is the first time there is a mobilisation to welcome them. I find this very nice.”
Organisers said they have approached the charity that is running the barracks shelter to create programmes so the migrants feel at home, such as sporting events, cooking classes and a map of places in the neighbourhood that want to help with the transition.
Since the crisis began on October 18, 2013, 108,000 migrants have passed through Milan. From 2013-2015, just 2 per cent of migrants requested asylum; that has now jumped to 75 per cent, Majorino said. Currently, the city is housing 3,760 migrants.