What Does Giorgia Meloni Mean for Ventimiglia’s Migrant Population?

Camp Roja was not the first refugee camp in Ventimiglia; whether it will be the last remains to be seen. In 2014, an influx of migrants and refugees in Ventimiglia led to the creation of the informal “No Borders” camp. One year later, the “No Borders” camp was shut down. Still, the need for shelter and aid for refugees and migrants persisted, prompting the Red Cross to open Camp Roja. However, its lack of a legal framework allowed the Prefecture of Imperia to close its doors in July 2020 easily. Originally built to host up to 180 people, the camp routinely operated well beyond its maximum capacity, once holding 800 people with a mere 360 beds. 

When Italy imposed a country-wide lockdown at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Camp Roja stopped receiving new arrivals, forcing 200 people to seek refuge on the streets. In accordance with national policy, the prefect, Alberto Intini, announced that the camp would not receive anyone new until the pandemic was over. By June 2020, the number of people in the camp drastically decreased; only 30 residents remained. On July 30, 2020, the prefecture informed the Red Cross that Camp Roja would be shut down. The Red Cross’ pleas to keep it open were unsuccessful. Since the closure, migrants and refugees in Ventimiglia are now in even more dangerous positions — many lack basic needs like adequate shelter, water and food, often sleeping outside the train station, under an overpass or along the Roja.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s new government, a coalition between her party, Fratelli d’Italia, the Lega and Forza Italia, is expected to be Italy's most right-wing government since the Second World War. In the 2018 election, Fratelli d’Italia won only 4.3% of the vote. Now, its ideas have gained significant ground. The party’s campaign promised to prevent refugee rescue boats from docking among other strict border controls. Meloni has suggested that the Italian Navy patrol the coast to stop migrants and refugees from reaching Italy, alongside a naval blockade of Africa’s Mediterranean coast. 

Meloni’s new government is facing its first challenge: three NGO rescue boats in Italian waters. On Saturday, Nov. 5, Humanity One, run by the German charity SOS Humanity, was allowed to enter the Sicilian port of Catania. After an onboard medical inspection, 144 migrants and refugees were moved to a reception center: they were deemed to be experiencing emergency conditions. The remaining 35 were left on the ship and will likely be pushed back into international waters. SOS Humanity argues that all of the ship’s passengers were rescued at sea, which alone is supposed to qualify them for a safe port under international law. On Sunday, Nov. 6, Italy ordered Humanity One to leave the port of Catania. The captain refused. 

Three other rescue ships remain at sea, two in Italian waters and one in international territory, with more than 900 additional migrants and refugees. Their requests for a safe port have gone unanswered, and conditions onboard have deteriorated. Some NGOs say that Italy is breaching international sea rescue laws, arguing that anyone in danger must be  disembarked at the nearest safe port. However, the new interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, asserts that because the asylum seekers first stepped aboard Humanity One in Germany, they are not Italy’s responsibility according to the European Union Dublin Regulation. 

Meloni’s victory has sparked concern amongst French migrant rights advocates and organizations, who fear that the present conditions for refugees and migrants at the Franco-Italian border and Central Mediterranean may become more treacherous. Amnesty International predicts that the increasing number of migrants and refugees attempting to leave Italy for France will cause a “ping pong” effect between French and Italian authorities. Already facing pushback as they attempt the “pass of death” through the mountains from Ventimiglia to Menton, a worsening situation is highly concerning.

In 2022, a new permanent hosting center for migrants and refugees is set to open in the Ventimiglia area. Still, authorities have yet to disclose specifics about the facility and its launch date. Amidst the Meloni administration’s hostility towards displaced populations, it now remains to be seen if Ventimiglia’s tentative resettlement center has even a fighting chance of opening.