A story of migrant
integration
Torpignattara station in Rome, where the lives of Admon, Monika and Soumaila intersect every day |
Over the last few years, thousands of people have arrived in
Italy via humanitarian corridors, rubber boats, or with their relatives. Today
they make an essential contribution to the life of the country. And very often,
they are people next door.
By Alessandro Guarasci
There are over 2.5 million migrants working in Italy. Most
of them work in hotels and restaurants, agriculture and construction, and many
of them are caregivers. Theirs are stories of integration, of a constant and
precious contribution to the life of the country. Still, many Italians don’t
realize the added value they offer. You can find them everywhere. Sometimes
even next door.
Admon from Syria: caregiver to the elderly
Admon Alhabib
Admon Alhabib is 20 years old. He left Al-Qaryatayn, near
Homs in Syria, in 2016, after rebel troops and militants loyal to President
Bashar al-Assad razed his town to the ground. His father died of a heart attack
while fleeing the city. Now Admon studies and works in Rome. In the evening, he
attends a school and during the day, he assists two elderly people. He also
does volunteer work together with the Community of Sant'Egidio. Every weekend
he visits residents at the Santa Margherita retirement home in the San Saba
district of Rome. This gives Admon the opportunity to meet people who have seen
and experienced the growth of Italy from the post-war period to the present
day.
Admon arrived in Italy on his own initiative, through the
humanitarian corridors of the Community of Sant'Egidio with the Federation of
Evangelical Churches in Italy, the Waldensian Church and the Caritas branch of
the Italian Bishops’ Conference. Almost 2,500 people have arrived in Italy
since February 2016, many of them fleeing the wars in Syria and the Horn of
Africa.
The humanitarian corridors were set up to avoid refugees
attempting to cross the Mediterranean by boat. This route has left hundred
dead, many of them children. They also help prevent human trafficking. Mostly,
they assist vulnerable people (victims of persecution, torture and violence,
families with children, the elderly, the sick, the disabled) to obtain legal
entry into Italy with a humanitarian visa and, therefore, the possibility to
apply for asylum later.
Monika from Bangladesh: local tour guide
Monika Islam
Monika Islam introduces visitors to the most beautiful,
characteristic, and most multicultural corners of Rome. She works with an
association called “Viaggi Solidali”. ACRA, “Viaggi Solidali” and Oxfam Italia
are responsible for developing the EU “Migrantour” Network. This initiative
allows European citizens, tourists and students, to discover the secrets of
European cities through the eyes of migrants. Secrets that not even the locals
know. So far, the project involves five Italian cities (Turin, Milan, Genoa,
Florence and Rome) and four other European cities (Marseille, Paris, Valencia,
and Lisbon). Since 2010, thousands of people have taken part in these
walks: secondary school pupils, curious citizens, foreign tourists,
neighbourhood residents, groups and associations.
Monika came to Italy from Bangladesh as a child. She is one
of the so-called "new Italians". Her integration process has been
total, and she takes full advantage of her knowledge of several cultures. We
followed her on a tour with some students of a U.S. university in one of the
most multicultural and multi-ethnic neighborhoods of Rome: Tor Pignattara.
Different traditions, dishes, colors, religions, and smells blend here in a
wonderful way. Tor Pignattara has been a popular residential area since before the
Second World War. This is the district of murals: colours that reflect the
kaleidoscope of cultures that find their home here. The main elementary school,
the "Carlo Pisacane", for example, is a true model of
integration.
Soumaila from Mali: cultural mediator
Soumaila Diwara
Soumaila Diwara survived one of the many shipwrecks that
often cause migrant journeys between Libya and Italy to end in tragedy. Now he
writes books, acts as a cultural mediator, and tells his story in schools. The
“Finestre” project encourages meetings with migrants and refugees in schools,
to foster interreligious dialogue, community building, and social creativity.
In this context, the “foreigner” is no longer perceived as an outsider, a
problem or a threat, but as someone who brings human and cultural richness.
After getting his law degree in Bamako, Soumaila entered
politics. He joined the opposition party "Solidarité Africaine pour la
Démocratie et l'Indépendance" (SADI). In 2012, he had to flee Mali and
followed the current migration route from Libya, crossing the Mediterranean in
a rubber dinghy. Shipwrecked, an Italian navy patrol boat rescued him and
brought him to Italy. In 2014, he was granted political asylum.
Today, Soumaila is completely integrated into Italian
society. With young people especially, he shares the stories of those who are
forced to flee religious or political persecution.
He and those like him know that the key to overcoming fear
and distrust is through understanding and personal encounter.
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