Their case is set for hearing at the immigration Police headquarters today. They are being housed by the authorities of Cuneo and they are all expected to seek refugee status and ‘international protection’. But their case has drawn the ire of local residents.
Yesterday, members of the fascist and anti-immigrant Northern League organised a sit -in protest in front of the “Laus Residence” in Lodi Vecchio, the structure that houses the 22 Gambians and other migrants. They carried banners shouting: ‘Illegals in the hotel, Italians under the bridge!’, ‘No to illegal invasion!’. The members of the league vowed to camp in the Lodi area for the next three months in their drive to expel the African migrants.
Flavio Parmesani, provincial secretary of the Northern League and the mayor of Casalpusterlengo said prefecture Lodi unilaterally welcomed the immigrants. “We have learned of the arrival of other immigrants in our country only when they were now housed in the residence. Tomorrow we will meet the prefect of Lodi, Antonio Corona, and confirm the decision taken by the party. The municipalities where the Northern League is in command or part of the majority, do not host illegal migrants,” he said.
“The number of boats coming in is constantly increasing. The government has shown that it does not care for Italian citizens. Instead of paying illegal aliens to stay, I must find the money to pay for the layoffs of many honest workers who are in trouble. This is racism towards Italians. Why not close the borders, as happened in Switzerland, and really try to boost the economy of Italy?”.
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