Fences and cemetery guards to stop migrants in Ventimiglia
The Italian border city of Ventimiglia has stepped up measures to stem the flow of migrants by erecting fences along the banks of the Roya river. A private security group also stands guard over a cemetery.
The Italian city of Ventimiglia, in Liguria, on the border with France, has stepped up measures to curb the flow of migrants by erecting heavy metal fences along the banks of the Roya river and through private security personnel standing guard over a cemetery.
“The decision to close access is to prevent more bivouacking as well as for security reasons,” said Flavio Di Muro, mayor of the city and a member of the anti-migrant League party.
“In the case of rain, there is the risk of a sudden rise in the river level, while in days of little rain like these there have been fires,” he added.
Measures to stop creation of new tent cities
The decision to use security guards at the Roverino cemetery was made after residents reported the presence of migrants camped out in the area and making use of bathrooms and fountains nearby.
These gatherings of migrants had, according to the town council, led to “problems within the cemetery and a perception of danger for visitors.”
“This is a sacred place, intended for prayer and the remembrance of the deceased,” said Di Muro when the security service was launched at the end of July. “(It is) not a place to camp out, urinate, move or destroy municipal property. We must restore dignity to our city, starting from places like this.”
The guards patrol the cemetery every day from 9 am to 12 and then from 3 pm to 6 pm.
The fence along the Roya river is intended to prevent access to the river in front of homes where residents have repeatedly reported seeing migrants moving through.
“We want to prevent the creation of situations of widespread illegality and of new tent cities,” Di Muro said.
City park also gets volunteer anti-migrant guards
A similar situation was seen in the city park where, the mayor said, “we want to invest in the creation of minigolf facilities and work on the pond but where there is the need for internal guards.”
On August 2, about 30 foreign nationals were stopped and identified within the Ventimiglia train station during checks: five were ordered to register at the police station, two were taken to the Turin repatriation center, and 20 were ordered to leave Italy.
Three minors from Afghanistan were also tracked down by the security forces and entrusted to a special reception center.
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