<
https://theconversation.com/a-court-case-against-migrant-activists-in-italy-offers-a-reminder-not-all-refugees-are-welcome-in-europe-182225>
"As many European countries welcome Ukrainians fleeing war, recent charges
against a migrant advocate in Rome offer a reminder that popular anti-migration
sentiments persist across Europe.
Andrea Costa, the president of Rome-based migration nonprofit Baobab
Experience, was recently acquitted on charges of facilitating illegal migration
– a form of migrant smuggling.
Costa and two volunteers with Baobab Experience faced up to 18 years in prison
after they purchased bus tickets for African migrants trying to travel from
Rome to Genoa in 2016.
An Italian judge dropped charges against Costa and his co-workers on May 9,
2022, because the “crime was nonexistent.”
Migrant activists are celebrating the recent court decision as a victory for
groups like Baobab that offer help to people in transit trying to find safety
in Europe. But as a scholar of Mediterranean migration and asylum in Europe, I
think it is important to keep in mind that the smuggling allegation still sends
a message that authorities in Italy – and across Europe – view providing
humanitarian assistance as potentially criminal."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
