The video, posted by the UN Refugee Agency, describes an innovative program in Parma called Rifiugati in Famiglia. Italians participating in this program have opened their homes to immigrants in need of a place to stay in return for monetary compensation and a chance to expand their own horizons.Rifugiati in Famiglia not only provides shelter for homeless refugees, but also helps foster a sense of community and friendship between Italians and the migrant community. In the words of project coordinator Chiara Marchetti, “Noi scherzando diciamo che non c’è una famiglia normale, ma proprio questa è la sua bellezza.”
(“We like to joke and say that there is no such thing as a normal family, but this really is a part of its beauty.”)
In a country where xenophobia, racism, and immigrant distrust are real problems, it is important to remember that there are always people ready to help another human being in need.
To view an article about the program that was posted on the UNHCR website, continue to this link:
A Vice article by Leonardo Bianchi featuring a collection of the ten “stupidest statements about immigration in Italy.” Most of these examples come from members of right-wing, anti-immigration political parties, and act as examples for why it is significant that people with views such as these have gained support from the Italian public.
La mia posizione è quella espressa insieme ai governatori del Nord Zaia e Toti nel documento di Genova: sono benvenuti i profughi veri, ossia i rifugiati che scappano dalla guerra, mentre i ragazzotti in cerca di fortuna, vestiti di tutto punto con Iphone o Ipad in mano, devono tornare a casa.
Roberto Maroni, President of Lombardy.
“My position is the same as that expressed by the Northern Governors Zaia and Toti in the Genoa document: real refugees are welcome, as are refugees fleeing from war, but the youths in search of fortune, all dressed up with their Iphones or Ipads in hand, they have to go home.”
Maroni’s answer comes in response to a question from Libero Quotidiano reporter Matteo Mion about Maroni’s stance on the growing immigrant population in Lombardy. Having crossed the Mediterranean and been smuggled North, migrants are finding themselves denied access to the bordering countries around Italy, and have started to collect in cities around Lombardy and the North.
In order to try and quell the tide of refugees crossing the Mediterranean, the Italian government has launched an awareness campaign to try and get refugees to think about the realities of their journey to Europe and ultimately discourage them from making the long journey to Italy. The above video is one of many made for the campaign known as Aware Migrants, which in particular is aimed at economic migrants who are want to come to Europe to escape poverty rather than those fleeing persecution.
The above video is one of many on the Aware Migrants website. The site focuses mainly on the stories of migrants who made the journey to Europe and the hardships they had to face.
To visit the website, go to: http://www.awaremigrants.org/
To read an article from The Guardian about the Aware Immigrants campaign, continue to this link:
A refugee camp of 500 and counting has been set up in the Northern Italian border city of Como, as Switzerland continues its tough stance on immigrants attempting to seek asylum across the Swiss-Italian border. Many of the immigrants have attempted at least once to cross the border, with little success.
Even though the governments of both sides take a tough stance on Como immigrants, volunteers on both sides have helped supply the refugees with basic necessities and erect refugee centers that will provide migrants with a place to stay as they await a change in their circumstances.
This video was created by Local Team, an Italian project specializing in “direct footage” and breaking news.
Peoples and cultures have always tried to differentiate and delineate themselves from others. We construct walls and borders designed to keep others out for a myriad of reasons ranging from the desire to retain what we perceive makes us special to the desire for defense from perceived outside threats. Though this process may be driven by natural urges, it is far from innocent. Walls intended to keep others out also keep their builders isolated within at the same time. This halting or regulating of people, cultures, and ideas can have disastrous impacts for those on both sides of the boundary.
Since the creation of the European Union following World War II, there has been a concerted effort within the region to begin lowering the walls and borders between states. The implementation of the Schengen Zone signaled an unprecedented opening and opportunity within the region. Continuing crises across the world, however, have complicated matters in Europe as a startling number of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers have flooded across the seas and borders in hopes of survival. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the case of the migrant crisis currently confronting the EU, there has not been one such reaction, but instead several movements have arisen as people struggle to deal with the new uncertainties and conditions facing them. These reactions have played out across Europe and the world’s walls. The physical barriers intended to keep people out of a certain space have become canvases for competing narratives regarding the refugee crisis. They no longer serve merely as structural supports and shelters, but also message boards.
Several notorious street artists, such as Blu, Ai WeiWei, and JR have each made their marks on walls, buildings, and shipping containers in support of the refugees. Others, like Herakut, have brought people together through their medium and a shared experience. Across Europe and Northern Africa, such artists create images attempting to capture and demonstrate the simultaneous suffering and hope of those seeking shelter in the EU. Unfortunately, these artists’ efforts and sympathies are not shared by all who already reside in the EU. On other walls in Europe, an uglier message exists. One of hate and racism. One of fear and uncertainty. One of graffiti and nooses.
This exhibit displays these competing narratives currently raging within Europe regarding the refugees and their plight side by side in an attempt to recognize the diversity of opinions that exists and perhaps gain a clearer understanding of how European society is struggling to reconcile its many facets with the crisis it faces. While hate speech and racism are displayed in this exhibit, their inclusion was purposeful and not intended as promotion. Without recognizing that such a sentiment exists within sectors of society and working to understand why it exists, meaningful steps towards reconciliation and acceptance between residents and refugees will not succeed.
Mainstream media headlines have been dominated by an incident in West London, where racist graffiti was found on the entrance to a Polish cultural center in Hammersmith. However, it appears post-Brexit, anti-immigrant images are also popping up in other areas of London - and they're definitely not pretty. This article was posted online by Sputnik on June 26, 2016 at https://sputniknews.com/politics/20160627/1042002467/brexit-racism-london-immigrants.html.
After the United Kingdom voted in a referendum (commonly called Brexit) regarding whether or not it would continue to be a member of the European Union, there was a major surge in displays of hate speech and xenophobia. Britain’s decision to exit the EU shocked many around the world, and it was fueled in part by an underlying sentiment of anti-immigration. Following the vote, several instances of racist graffiti appeared across London. Two such cases were directed at Polish immigrants. Though the refugee crisis stems from wars in the Middle East, these examples of hate speech demonstrate that anti-immigration sentiments and racism against other people even within the region generally defined as Europe remain alive and well among certain individuals.
Cartoon found on the Sputnik International News website along with a small description of Denmark's response to refugees (https://sputniknews.com/cartoons/20151211/1031606045/denmark-poor-refugees-cartoon.html). The cartoon is a response to the Danish bill that allows the government to seize cash or valuables from refugees. Article orginaly posten on Sputnik on November 11th, 2015.
