Demolishing Dignity: The Eviction of Migrants in Ventimiglia

A humanitarian crisis is currently unfolding in Ventimiglia, a town in the province of Imperia nestled between the blue Mediterranean and the Ligurian Alps. Known as the Western Gateway of Italy, Ventimiglia is the last Italian city before the French border. It has become a central hub in Europe for migrants heading towards France, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries.The migration trend was initially spurred by the Balkan crises in the 1990s, followed by a significant influx of Kurdish and Albanian migrants in 1996. This pattern intensified with the Tunisian wave during the Arab Spring in 2011, and subsequent years brought increased migration from Eritrea and Syria, especially during the European migrant crisis of 2015. The situation worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which exacerbated vulnerabilities and led to a surge in homelessness among migrants.

In 2015, the humanitarian situation escalated with the closure of the French border, the start of evictions and the use of force to disperse migrant camps. Combined with a widespread campaign of defamation and criminalization of solidarity, the space for civic action was stifled. The latest eviction on October 10, 2024, carried out by the provincial committee for public order and security of Imperia, targeted the tent city set up on the banks of the Roya River through a joint operation by police and carabinieri. This eviction affected migrants traveling along the Balkan and Mediterranean routes, coming from Africa and from the Greater Middle East. 

The events of October 10th unfolded through a series of coordinated actions by authorities that, within just a few critical hours, completely upended the already fragile living conditions of the migrants sheltering under the bridge.

At 7:30 a.m., the first excavator arrived at a parking lot on Via Tenda, accompanied by two municipal workers who announced that the eviction was set to begin at 8:00 a.m. Thanks to advance rumors, the team from No Name Kitchen (NNK), a grassroots organization providing support to migrants, along with local activists, managed to notify those sheltering under the bridge without causing panic. Ten minutes before the operation began, four activists entered the camp to wake residents, giving them a brief chance to collect their belongings. Many were still asleep or engaged in their morning prayers as dawn broke.

At 8:00 a.m., authorities arrived in force, including heavily armed police units such as the Carabinieri and Digos, as well as local police, the mayor, the prefect and various journalists. One Digos officer filmed the operation as police forces entered “The Bridge” from both sides, effectively enclosing the residents.

The event was marked by shattered hopes and the systematic destruction of the migrants' few possessions. Throughout the day, law enforcement dismantled a camp that, although precarious, served as a haven for hundreds of migrants. Heart-wrenching images show tents torn and destroyed, personal belongings scattered like leaves in the wind and piles of goods reduced to rubble; each abandoned item tells a story of hope, escape and despair.

In total, around 40 to 50 individuals were evicted on the 10th of October, all of which had been asking for asylum. Some were sent to Caritas in Ventimiglia, despite it being well-known that the shelter only serves women and children.

"Despite an initial attempt to provide the individuals under the bridge with a dignified housing alternative, the situation remains unresolved and the eviction will leave dozens of people without even a fragile shelter, with no choice but to sleep on the streets," stated Dr. Maria Cristina Daniele of Doctors of the World in Ventimiglia. "All of this fails to take into account the individual situations and the physical and mental vulnerabilities they suffer from. We at Doctors of the World strongly demand that these individuals be properly cared for in equipped centers, as the centers adhering to the SAI network for vulnerable individuals should be, in accordance with the Guidelines on Vulnerabilities created and disseminated by the Ministry of the Interior in April 2024."

A video of the eviction has been proudly shared by the local newspaper in the name of the mayor of Ventimiglia,Flavio Di Muro, who justified the eviction by stating that "many migrants refused to be accommodated in specific centers." His words echo a distorted reality, as he mentioned: "We have offered various migrants who applied for international protection access to the network of extraordinary reception centers (CAS) in the province. There are available beds in other cities, but many of them shun any form of integration, hospitality and placement." However, the truth is quite different. The absence of effective integration and reception policies makes the migrants' choice an act of self-defense rather than mere reluctance.

Last year, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi visited Ventimiglia, promising to create a Distributed Reception Point to host close to 300 people, providing a humanitarian response to those in transit. Officials identified a site at the former Ferrotel, the railway workers' hotel located in the station square, to serve this purpose.

Yet, a year later, no progress has been made. The reduced flow of migrants in recent months has been used as an excuse to question the necessity of this reception point, with some considering the expense unjustified.

Migrants have thus not been offered a real and dignified alternative, and the lack of adequate and ready centers makes their refusal a response to a failing system that has denied basic rights for years. While the mayor speaks of security for residents, migrants continue to live in a limbo of vulnerability.

Ventimiglia, with its stunning natural beauty, becomes an ominous backdrop to a crisis that demands profound reflection on our collective  priorities and values. The postcard landscape starkly contrasts with tired faces and stories of vulnerability that struggle each day to emerge from the dust and contempt. It is insufficient to justify the denial of hospitality with political rhetoric; it reflects a system that ignores the suffering of many in the name of false security.

The words of Di Dato, coordinator of Doctors Without Borders, resonate strongly: "The situation in Ventimiglia reflects the direction of European migration policies, focused on containment rather than protection." Yet, Italian and European institutions continue to turn a blind eye, trapped in a web of bureaucracy and indecision. What is needed is a radical paradigm shift, putting humanity and people's needs at the forefront instead of an obsession with border control. The brutality of migration management is a warning sign we cannot ignore. The images of migrants huddled around makeshift fires in the cold embrace of the winter season can no longer simply be watched and forgotten. In the script of an unending crisis, a collective response becomes essential, demanding an informed and active public opinion seeking justice. The call to dignity is an urgent anthem that must remain alive.