The suffering of refugees in Italy

Germany returned around 3,000 refugees to Italy in 2018. There, however, they face homelessness because Italy denies many refugees shelter, food, and medical care. This is a clear violation of EU law. On its journey across Italy, MONITOR encountered refugees struggling to survive on the streets and relying on the help of private organizations. Our research takes us to southern Italy, Naples, Milan, Rome, and Bari. We learn: The Italian authorities have systematically deprived tens of thousands of refugees in Italy of their European-guaranteed right to accommodation. The reason: a passage in an Italian law regulating the accommodation of refugees. According to this law, anyone who leaves their accommodation for one or more nights without prior agreement loses their accommodation. Refugee aid workers report that one night's absence is often enough to lose the right to accommodation – and this applies throughout Italy. The refugees are then solely dependent on aid organizations. Our research also shows that the law is being applied on a massive scale: In 2016 and 2017, at least 40,000 refugees were deprived of their right to accommodation across Italy. The actual number is likely significantly higher. With the loss of accommodation, refugees lose the decent standard of living guaranteed by Europe and, as a result, often also access to medical care. Numerous Italian lawyers confirm to us the consequences the law has for refugees who are returned to Italy from Germany. This is an automatic process. Anyone who leaves their accommodation in Italy and travels to Germany no longer has a chance of finding accommodation upon returning to Italy because the authorities have withdrawn their right to accommodation. However, a ruling by the European Court of Justice from March 2019 stipulates that a Dublin transfer of a refugee to Italy is only reasonable if a decent standard of living and accommodation are guaranteed. Can Germany continue to send refugees back to Italy under such circumstances, risking homelessness? European law experts are calling for a suspension of the return of refugees to Italy. The video reflects the research as of the end of May 2019. Authors: Lara Straatmann, Lisa Seemann, Frank Konopatzki Editing: Marc von Heinsberg, Christian Kupfer MONITOR is a WDR production for ARD. More information about us can also be found here: www.monitor.de Or follow us here:   / monitor.wdr     / monitor.wdr