(Issue Tuesday June 28 2016)
At least 11 young Gambian boys, between the ages of 14 – 17, who arrived at the seaport of Pozzallo in Italy three months ago are in need of help.The boys were supposed to be taken to a residence for asylum seekers upon arrival in Italy within 42 hours. But since they arrived in April, this year, they are at an emergency camp with little, sometimes, no help.
Some
of them beg in the streets to be able to contact their parents and loved ones
at home in The Gambia.
Shortage
of basic maintenance at the emergency camp at Pozzallo has become a normal
atmosphere since 2013.
The
Gambian minors, and others at this camp, not only complain of the quality and
quantity of food they are given, but also the sub-standard sanitary conditions
at the camp.
Our
correspondent in Italy said the migrants at Pozzallo camp are also very
concerned, about why they are still stuck in an emergency camp that cannot
render them neither good humanitarian services nor legal protections.
However,
the camp officials said they are doing their best to serve everyone in the camp
that is hosting more than 3,000 people, including women and unaccompanied
minors like the 11 Gambians.
Under
the migration rules of Italy, asylum seekers are supposed to be hosted
according to their gender, age and condition.
However,
the camp at Pozzallo hosts men and women together, with the men sharing the
same toilet. Under such conditions, they
all sleep together in two big halls with a single first-aid service.
Bottega
Solidale, a pro-migrants association, said many attempts to see that the
migrants at some of the camps like Pozzallo are moved to other more secured
places are still not promising.
The
association recently called journalists and lawyers together to explain to them
the conditions at some of the camps, and the sufferings of the migrants at such
camps.
They
presently help the migrants with clothes, shoes and shampoo.
