Life on the Italian-French Border

Thousands of illegal migrants in Italy have found their way to the French border on the Mediterranean hoping to get into France. Since France will not accept them, thousands of these migrants, mostly African, are camped out by the border town of Ventimiglia. It is a situation that has been going on for a couple of years now, and for the residents of Ventimiglia, the situation is intolerable. Not surprisingly, the town voted for the center-right party, Lega Nord in the weekends elections.

At any rate, the latest episode in this once picturesque, tranquil town involved rival migrant gangs engaged in rock throwing in the dead of night and damaging residential property in the process. I have translated the below report from Il Giornale.

http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/far-west-ventimiglia-sassaiola-migranti-pietre-contro-1501375.html#/senato/tempo-reale/1

Far west (Wild West)  in Ventimiglia: stone-throwing between migrants, stones against the inhabitants

Cars and homes damaged by a ferocious stone-throwing that exploded between opposing factions of illegal immigrants

Fabrizio Tenerelli -Mon, 05/03/2018 - 16:52

A real "far west", with cars and houses damaged by  fierce rock-throwing that  exploded between opposing factions of illegal immigrants, occurred last night in Via Tenda, in Ventimiglia, in the Gianchette neighborhood, which faces the riverbed of the Roja river, where for years now an unauthorized tent city  has been built created by those migrants who do not want to go to the Red Cross reception center, to the Roja Park (where they would have free food and lodging), because they fear to be identified by the police.

"We are held hostage by these people - the inhabitants shout - it is a district under siege, where they are the masters". In fact, every day is the scene of robberies, fights and other criminal incidents. The explosion of violence began around twelve thirty am. Some migrants confront each other, for reasons still under investigation by the Carabinieri, and soon the stones start flying, damaging four parked cars and the windows of two houses.

"When they saw me leaning out- says Mauro C. - they grabbed a stone and threw it at me, damaging the window". A situation, therefore, of high tension. Only a few days ago, a group of Libyans had savagely beaten an African, splitting two teeth, to take away his phone and the little money in his pocket. Violence also fueled by alcohol abuse and hunger. Despite the danger to hygiene and public order, no institution has come forward to clear the abusive field inhabited by dozens and dozens of foreigners, including women and children. And it is also in the wake of this situation that the Lega Nord, in Ventimiglia, became the first party, with 29.66 percent of the preferences. Débâcle, however, for the Democratic Party, the party of the mayor of Ventimiglia, Enrico Ioculano, which collapsed at 11.25 percent. The citizens thus wanted to punish the management of the migrant emergency.

Below, with an assist in sub-titling from Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes is an interview of a resident.