1. A meeting in Tunis to tackle the flow of refugees from Africa to Europe?
EU and African ministers are meeting in Tunis, among other things, to discuss a UNHCR-backed plan to regulate the flows of asylum seekers to about 20,000. But the emphasis is still on externalisation. Patrick Wintour’s article in the Guardian explains what we can expect from the summit
2. A ship’s log from the Mediterranean
Life aboard the Aquarius, one of NGO vessels rescuing migrants in the Central Mediterranean. Annalisa Camilli is keeping a ship’s log for Internazionale, telling us what drives aid workers to save lives in the Mediterranean despite the accusations levelled against them, their reactions to the code of conduct for NGOs compiled by the Italian government and what it is like to give birth and to be born out at sea.
3. Solidarity out at sea, no more myths
“An entire book could be written out of all the myths, legends and half-truths that have been circulating since the words of Catania’s prosecutor Carmelo Zuccaro ignited a smear campaign against humanitarian NGOs”, Lorenzo Bagnoli wrote in Osservatorio Diritti – explaining the raison d’être for the guide to solidarity out at sea written by the Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights.
4. All boats lead to Rome
Italy is the only landing point for migrants crossing the Central Mediterranean and has absorbed hundreds of thousands of migrants from Africa over the last 10 years. With no other Western countries willing to share the burden, a breaking point is inevitable. Read Saviona Mane’s article for Haaretz.
5. Italy, how the mafia is siphoning funds from migrant centres
Rancid food for asylum seekers housed in dilapidated facilities, fine dining and bathtubs with golden taps for the criminals making profits from this situation. Gaia Pianigiani’s report for the New York Times investigates the corruption and mafia associations within Italy’s migrant reception system.
6. Ventimiglia, Italy, is the new frontier of a humanitarian crisis
Located near the French border, the town of Ventimiglia is one of the hotspots of the humanitarian crisis: hundreds of migrants are stranded there waiting to cross, and dozens have been losing their lives in the attempt. Read Angela Giuffrida’s report for the Guardian.
7. Italy, how not to solve a legal case, and a so-called crisis
A case of mistaken identity that put the wrong man in jail highlights a bigger failure on the part of our authorities to handle the migrant “crisis”. Read Ben Taub’s extensive report in the New Yorker.
8. Italy delays vote on citizenship rights for children of migrants
The voting on the long-awaited reform of citizenship law has been again postponed to September – yet another betrayal of the hopes of 1 million young people without citizenship, born or raised in Italy but still legally foreigners at home. This story in Il Post tells us what it’s like to be 18 and have no citizenship rights, a situation that should be corrected without further delays.
9. No shelter for those fleeing climate change
Climate change is creating an entirely new kind of refugee. But will they be offered the same legal rights? Read Darby Hopper’s in-depth analysis in Motherboard.
10. 78 trillion reasons to open the borders
A world without borders would be a better place. For many reasons, from humanitarian and ethical to economic ones. This story in the Economist (a couple of weeks old, but still a must read) explains how opening the borders could make the world 78 trillions of dollars richer.
Translation by Francesco Graziosi.
Header photo: SAR missions in the Mediterranean (Moonbird Airborne Operation – Sea Watch, via Blaming the rescuers).
