![](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/borders-logo.png\" "\\"borders"){kind=logo}
<\/span><\/div>Borders<\/h2><\/div>Dall\u2019ottobre 2022 \u00e8 iniziato il progetto Borders, con l\u2019obiettivo di ampliare la presenza di ASCS ai confini delle rotte migratorie europee.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Obiettivi specifici<\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Monitorare la condizione delle persone in movimento ai confini, denunciando le violenze e le ingiustizie<\/b> che accadono sistematicamente nei loro confronti<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Attivare progetti di accoglienza e supporto alle persone migranti<\/span> <\/b>in collaborazione con le associazioni locali<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Favorire una presenza pi\u00f9 continuativa di volontarie e volontari ASCS<\/b> in questi luoghi, in particolare dove sono gi\u00e0 presenti i padri Scalabriniani<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Sensibilizzare la societ\u00e0 civile, in particolare i giovani,<\/b> <\/span>sulle politiche di esternalizzazione delle frontiere operate dai paesi dell\u2019Unione Europea<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>I punti di interesse del progetto in questo primo anno sono stati: le frontiere delle rotte balcaniche (in particolare <\/span>Trieste <\/b>e <\/span>Subotica<\/b>), le frontiere interne italiane (<\/span>Brennero<\/b>, <\/span>Como<\/b>, <\/span>Oulx<\/b>, <\/span>Ventimiglia<\/b>), le frontiera esterne settentrionali (<\/span>Calais<\/b>) e le frontiere esterne meridionali (<\/span>Ceuta<\/b>).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/borders-ascs-24-1.png\" "\\"borders")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Calais (France-United Kingdom)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/calais-borders.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBackground<\/b><\/p>\n
In the span of 2023, 29,437 people were recorded crossing the English Channel. Despite the number of crossings (in 2022 there had been more than 40,000 people crossing this border), the vast majority of people on the move who plan to head to the United Kingdom cannot get there because they are stuck first on the beaches of northern France, in places like Calais and Dunkirk.<\/p>\n
For years now Calais has been transformed as a function of the passage of transiting people. Notably famous was the Calais Jungle, a giant informal encampment on the outskirts of the city, which was inhabited from 2006 to 2016, then dismantled. However, there are currently thousands of people in the Calais territory. Despite the fact that the Jungle has been dismantled, in fact, people have continued to inhabit more or less peripheral areas of the city (currently part of the old Jungle has been re-occupied). Informal settlements are multiple.<\/p>\n
The big emergency is housing, as institutions do not provide any shelter. The Scalabrinian Fathers have been taking over 15 churches in the town of Calais for two years now, with the aim of accompanying the local population and supporting migrant people. The House La Margelle<\/b><\/a> is located in the old rectory house of one of the churches run by the Scalabrinian fathers. It is one of the few places for migrant people in the city: in particular, migrant people who, having arrived in Calais to try to reach the United Kingdom, are instead considering stopping in France are received here. The house also provides an emergency room<\/em> to accommodate, for a few nights, people in transit referred by other associations working to support migrant people in Calais.<\/p>\nWhat ASCS does in Calais<\/b><\/p>\n
Since January 2024 we have taken charge, together with the parish of Calais, of a guest house: the house (pictured), until December 2023 was already used for reception, thanks to a local Jesuit. From January 2024, we began to take over management of the house, taking in 12 single men in transit in a vulnerable situation. The project is developed in cooperation with Caritas and other local associations, and is operationally managed by two\/three ASCS volunteer(s).<\/p>\n
In 2023, in addition to the inspections carried out for the start of the reception, some short- and medium-term ASCS volunteer(s) did support activities at the Margelle shelter: Alex, an ASCS volunteer, spent the week of Christmas 2022 as a volunteer. Miriam, an ASCS volunteer, spent the entire month of August 2023 in Calais supporting La Margelle House, in collaboration with the Scalabrinian Fathers of Calais.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Updates from the France-Britain border, ASCS, December 2023<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Ceuta (Spain-Morocco)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/ceuta-borders.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBackground<\/b><\/p>\n
Ceuta is located on the so-called Western<\/em> Mediterranean route, the Eastern Mediterranean route. It is one of two Spanish enclaves (along with Melilla) in Moroccan territory, on the Strait of Gibraltar. Half of the population living in this enclave is of Moroccan origin; most of this 50 percent have been Spanish nationals for years now, but they maintain the traditions of their roots (language, religion). The advantage, in the past, of arriving in these territories was the fact that one could reach the European Union without the need to cross the sea, since Ceuta is politically Spain but geographically Morocco. In 2018, this route was the most traveled route to EU territory, with nearly 60,000 crossings in one year. After that, thanks to a series of agreements between Spain, the European Union, Frontex, Morocco and other African countries, Ceuta and Melilla became virtually inaccessible. The borders are entirely militarized, with a barbed-wire wall 12 kilometers long (it also goes into the sea for part of it) and 10 meters high, consisting of two fences with a space between each fence of a few meters for a truck patrolling the border to pass through.<\/p>\nOvertaking him is almost impossible. Those trying to overcome it are both people from Sub-Saharan African countries and countries from Northwest Africa, particularly neighboring Morocco. Those from Sub-Saharan Africa are sometimes stuck on the other side of the border for years, some decide to settle in Morocco working informally, others try the route to the Canary Islands. Others keep trying, from Ceuta or Melilla, and sooner or later they succeed.<\/p>\n
Those who manage to arrive in Ceuta, if from Sub-Saharan African countries, often end up in the Centros de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes <\/em>(CETI), a very first reception center for about 500 people. After an initial period in the Ceuta hotspot, you are moved to reception centers on the mainland. People of Moroccan descent who wish to proceed with their asylum application, on the other hand, do not have access to CETI until they are able to access the first asylum interview. Interview for which it is very complicated to book because it works with online reservations. Currently this system is in the hands of hackers who charge more than 1,000 euros to have one reserved. For this reason, many of the Moroccan people who would like to apply for asylum stay in Ceuta months or years before they succeed in doing so to raise the necessary money (with precarious and informal jobs). In the time of waiting to access asylum, people in Ceuta very often live on the street or in precarious housing solutions.<\/p>\nThe Scalabrinian Fathers (responsible for the pastoral care of migration for the dioceses of C\u00e1diz and Ceuta) are present with a facility in Ceuta, the San Antonio Center (pictured), where outreach activities (by the Cardijn Association) and recreational and educational activities for people living in CETI (by theEl\u00ecn Association<\/b><\/a>).<\/p>\nWhat ASCS does in Ceuta<\/b><\/p>\n
From January 2024, we began a permanent presence in Ceuta, in the San Antonio center (pictured) to support Moroccan migrant people without a housing solution in Ceuta<\/strong>. Currently, a shower service<\/strong> for migrant people sleeping on the streets is held (a necessary service to combat skin diseases such as scabies). It is also planned, in collaboration with the Scalabrinian fathers of the Algeciras-Cadiz-Ceuta mission, for the next few months, to beginhosting Moroccan people living on the streets<\/strong> in particularly vulnerable situations. The support and reception activity is and will be operationally managed by two volunteers\/operators from ASCS, in collaboration with the migration ministry, which is given to the Scalabrini Fathers and other local associations.<\/p>\nIn addition, as part of outreach, we co-organize volunteer camps in the Ceuta and Tetuan area (the next ones are scheduled for summer 2024). In cooperation with the association Cardijn<\/b><\/a>e Tierra de todos<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\nRead more<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Report of the Human Rights Observatory of Caminando Fronteras, December 2023<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Balkan routes<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/rotte-balcaniche-borders.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Francesco Cibati, Subotica<\/p><\/div>\n
Background<\/b><\/p>\n
In 2015, the Balkan routes, long traveled by people on the move heading toward the European Union (EU), assumed a crucial role as the main entry route to the continent. This change was triggered by the opening of borders by the EU and the Balkan states. Over the course of months, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed the Balkan countries via Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. These crossings have had a tangible impact on the geography and borders of these countries. Along the way, temporary refugee camps suddenly sprang up. In addition to the support of nongovernmental organizations, the solidarity of civil society, locally and internationally, with transiting people has been evident. Since March 2016 things have changed, an agreement between the EU and Turkey marked the final closure of the borders along the branches of the Balkan route. This has not only made the journey to the EU more risky and costly, but also increased the use of traffickers. Currently, tens of thousands of people find themselves trapped in refugee camps scattered across Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, with the only outlet to Central Europe being through dangerous illegal channels, endangering the lives of those who undertake them.<\/p>\n
What ASCS does on Balkan routes.<\/b><\/p>\n
Since 2019, ASCS has had an eye on what is happening on the Balkan routes. It all started with Unbroken Humanity<\/b><\/a>, a month-long journey across the land borders of one of the branches of the Balkan routes, from the Syrian-Turkish border to Italy. The purpose of this project was to witness the moving stories of violence and solidarity of the people who pass through these places. Out of this project came a book<\/b><\/a>, a photographic exhibition<\/a><\/b> e The Game<\/a><\/b>, a role-playing game to raise awareness of this issue. After this experience, ASCS joined the network Facing the Balkans<\/a><\/b>, collaborating in the various activities carried out together with the other associations that comprise it, in particular participating in a trip to monitor and learn about the realities of the Balkan countries that the network has supported over the years. ASCS still continues as an active member of the network.<\/p>\nOur last presence in the Balkan countries was in November 2022, when ASCS worker Davide spent about ten days in Subotica, on the border between Serbia and Hungary, a place of daily rejections and violence against people on the move. In particular, we accompanied and supported the organization No Name Kitchen<\/a><\/b> in operations to assist migrant people in informal encampments in the border strip.<\/p>\nRead more<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Updates from the Serbia-Hungary border, ASCS, November 2022<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
- Lipa, the field where Europe fails, ReVolts to the Balkans, Dec. 2021<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, the failed reception, ReVolved to the Balkans, July 2021<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n
- Unbroken Humanity, Seipersei, 2021<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n
- The Balkan route. Migrants without rights in the heart of Europe, ReVolved to the Balkans, February 2021<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n
- The Borders of Fortress Europe – News From the Serbian-Hungarian Frontier.<\/a><\/b>, transform! europe, January 2021<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Trieste (Italy-Slovenia)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/trieste-borders.jpg\")
<\/a>Photos by Matteo Rioda – Trieste<\/p><\/div>\n
Background<\/b><\/p>\n
Among the latest stops on one of the branches of the Balkan migration routes. In the year 2023, there are nearly 15,000 transiting people supported by the local associations we work with. These are high numbers compared to past years. More than half of the people who arrived in Trieste are from Afghanistan, then Pakistan, Turkish Kurdistan, and Bangladesh. From the end of 2023, the Italian government announced the resumption of border controls at the border (inside the Schengen area) with Slovenia.<\/p>\n
In addition to the people who transit, there are those who apply for asylum but do not access reception, in violation of the rules that stipulate that anyone seeking asylum has the right to a place in reception. The significant influx of people transiting the Balkan routes, coupled with the lack of reception of asylum seekers, means that the major critical issue in Trieste is the lack of a reception venue. Associations working in Trieste have reported to municipal and regional institutions the lack of a center where people can sleep a few nights before resuming their journey. In the absence of shelter, people passing through Trieste remain in tents in a large abandoned building near the train station, in precarious sanitary conditions.<\/p>\n
What ASCS does in Trieste<\/b><\/p>\n
From 2021, as an activity of ASCS Intercultural Animation two or three times each year, service and training events will be organized (ConFine<\/a><\/b>e Through<\/b><\/a>) for young people from 18 to 29 years old.<\/p>\nIn addition, since 2023 some medium- to long-term ASCS volunteers have been sent to Trieste to work in cooperation with local associations. For the entire month of March 2023, Philip, an ASCS volunteer, volunteered with local associations, in particular, with the
Dall\u2019ottobre 2022 \u00e8 iniziato il progetto Borders, con l\u2019obiettivo di ampliare la presenza di ASCS ai confini delle rotte migratorie europee.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Obiettivi specifici<\/h2><\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Monitorare la condizione delle persone in movimento ai confini, denunciando le violenze e le ingiustizie<\/b> che accadono sistematicamente nei loro confronti<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Attivare progetti di accoglienza e supporto alle persone migranti<\/span> <\/b>in collaborazione con le associazioni locali<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Favorire una presenza pi\u00f9 continuativa di volontarie e volontari ASCS<\/b> in questi luoghi, in particolare dove sono gi\u00e0 presenti i padri Scalabriniani<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div>Sensibilizzare la societ\u00e0 civile, in particolare i giovani,<\/b> <\/span>sulle politiche di esternalizzazione delle frontiere operate dai paesi dell\u2019Unione Europea<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>I punti di interesse del progetto in questo primo anno sono stati: le frontiere delle rotte balcaniche (in particolare <\/span>Trieste <\/b>e <\/span>Subotica<\/b>), le frontiere interne italiane (<\/span>Brennero<\/b>, <\/span>Como<\/b>, <\/span>Oulx<\/b>, <\/span>Ventimiglia<\/b>), le frontiera esterne settentrionali (<\/span>Calais<\/b>) e le frontiere esterne meridionali (<\/span>Ceuta<\/b>).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Calais (France-United Kingdom)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/p>\nBackground<\/b><\/p>\n
In the span of 2023, 29,437 people were recorded crossing the English Channel. Despite the number of crossings (in 2022 there had been more than 40,000 people crossing this border), the vast majority of people on the move who plan to head to the United Kingdom cannot get there because they are stuck first on the beaches of northern France, in places like Calais and Dunkirk.<\/p>\n
For years now Calais has been transformed as a function of the passage of transiting people. Notably famous was the Calais Jungle, a giant informal encampment on the outskirts of the city, which was inhabited from 2006 to 2016, then dismantled. However, there are currently thousands of people in the Calais territory. Despite the fact that the Jungle has been dismantled, in fact, people have continued to inhabit more or less peripheral areas of the city (currently part of the old Jungle has been re-occupied). Informal settlements are multiple.<\/p>\n
The big emergency is housing, as institutions do not provide any shelter. The Scalabrinian Fathers have been taking over 15 churches in the town of Calais for two years now, with the aim of accompanying the local population and supporting migrant people. The House La Margelle<\/b><\/a> is located in the old rectory house of one of the churches run by the Scalabrinian fathers. It is one of the few places for migrant people in the city: in particular, migrant people who, having arrived in Calais to try to reach the United Kingdom, are instead considering stopping in France are received here. The house also provides an emergency room<\/em> to accommodate, for a few nights, people in transit referred by other associations working to support migrant people in Calais.<\/p>\nWhat ASCS does in Calais<\/b><\/p>\n
Since January 2024 we have taken charge, together with the parish of Calais, of a guest house: the house (pictured), until December 2023 was already used for reception, thanks to a local Jesuit. From January 2024, we began to take over management of the house, taking in 12 single men in transit in a vulnerable situation. The project is developed in cooperation with Caritas and other local associations, and is operationally managed by two\/three ASCS volunteer(s).<\/p>\n
In 2023, in addition to the inspections carried out for the start of the reception, some short- and medium-term ASCS volunteer(s) did support activities at the Margelle shelter: Alex, an ASCS volunteer, spent the week of Christmas 2022 as a volunteer. Miriam, an ASCS volunteer, spent the entire month of August 2023 in Calais supporting La Margelle House, in collaboration with the Scalabrinian Fathers of Calais.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Updates from the France-Britain border, ASCS, December 2023<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Ceuta (Spain-Morocco)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/p>\nBackground<\/b><\/p>\n
Ceuta is located on the so-called Western<\/em> Mediterranean route, the Eastern Mediterranean route. It is one of two Spanish enclaves (along with Melilla) in Moroccan territory, on the Strait of Gibraltar. Half of the population living in this enclave is of Moroccan origin; most of this 50 percent have been Spanish nationals for years now, but they maintain the traditions of their roots (language, religion). The advantage, in the past, of arriving in these territories was the fact that one could reach the European Union without the need to cross the sea, since Ceuta is politically Spain but geographically Morocco. In 2018, this route was the most traveled route to EU territory, with nearly 60,000 crossings in one year. After that, thanks to a series of agreements between Spain, the European Union, Frontex, Morocco and other African countries, Ceuta and Melilla became virtually inaccessible. The borders are entirely militarized, with a barbed-wire wall 12 kilometers long (it also goes into the sea for part of it) and 10 meters high, consisting of two fences with a space between each fence of a few meters for a truck patrolling the border to pass through.<\/p>\nOvertaking him is almost impossible. Those trying to overcome it are both people from Sub-Saharan African countries and countries from Northwest Africa, particularly neighboring Morocco. Those from Sub-Saharan Africa are sometimes stuck on the other side of the border for years, some decide to settle in Morocco working informally, others try the route to the Canary Islands. Others keep trying, from Ceuta or Melilla, and sooner or later they succeed.<\/p>\n
Those who manage to arrive in Ceuta, if from Sub-Saharan African countries, often end up in the Centros de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes <\/em>(CETI), a very first reception center for about 500 people. After an initial period in the Ceuta hotspot, you are moved to reception centers on the mainland. People of Moroccan descent who wish to proceed with their asylum application, on the other hand, do not have access to CETI until they are able to access the first asylum interview. Interview for which it is very complicated to book because it works with online reservations. Currently this system is in the hands of hackers who charge more than 1,000 euros to have one reserved. For this reason, many of the Moroccan people who would like to apply for asylum stay in Ceuta months or years before they succeed in doing so to raise the necessary money (with precarious and informal jobs). In the time of waiting to access asylum, people in Ceuta very often live on the street or in precarious housing solutions.<\/p>\nThe Scalabrinian Fathers (responsible for the pastoral care of migration for the dioceses of C\u00e1diz and Ceuta) are present with a facility in Ceuta, the San Antonio Center (pictured), where outreach activities (by the Cardijn Association) and recreational and educational activities for people living in CETI (by theEl\u00ecn Association<\/b><\/a>).<\/p>\nWhat ASCS does in Ceuta<\/b><\/p>\n
From January 2024, we began a permanent presence in Ceuta, in the San Antonio center (pictured) to support Moroccan migrant people without a housing solution in Ceuta<\/strong>. Currently, a shower service<\/strong> for migrant people sleeping on the streets is held (a necessary service to combat skin diseases such as scabies). It is also planned, in collaboration with the Scalabrinian fathers of the Algeciras-Cadiz-Ceuta mission, for the next few months, to beginhosting Moroccan people living on the streets<\/strong> in particularly vulnerable situations. The support and reception activity is and will be operationally managed by two volunteers\/operators from ASCS, in collaboration with the migration ministry, which is given to the Scalabrini Fathers and other local associations.<\/p>\nIn addition, as part of outreach, we co-organize volunteer camps in the Ceuta and Tetuan area (the next ones are scheduled for summer 2024). In cooperation with the association Cardijn<\/b><\/a>e Tierra de todos<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\nRead more<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Report of the Human Rights Observatory of Caminando Fronteras, December 2023<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Balkan routes<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/a>Photo by Francesco Cibati, Subotica<\/p><\/div>\n
Background<\/b><\/p>\n
In 2015, the Balkan routes, long traveled by people on the move heading toward the European Union (EU), assumed a crucial role as the main entry route to the continent. This change was triggered by the opening of borders by the EU and the Balkan states. Over the course of months, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed the Balkan countries via Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. These crossings have had a tangible impact on the geography and borders of these countries. Along the way, temporary refugee camps suddenly sprang up. In addition to the support of nongovernmental organizations, the solidarity of civil society, locally and internationally, with transiting people has been evident. Since March 2016 things have changed, an agreement between the EU and Turkey marked the final closure of the borders along the branches of the Balkan route. This has not only made the journey to the EU more risky and costly, but also increased the use of traffickers. Currently, tens of thousands of people find themselves trapped in refugee camps scattered across Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, with the only outlet to Central Europe being through dangerous illegal channels, endangering the lives of those who undertake them.<\/p>\n
What ASCS does on Balkan routes.<\/b><\/p>\n
Since 2019, ASCS has had an eye on what is happening on the Balkan routes. It all started with Unbroken Humanity<\/b><\/a>, a month-long journey across the land borders of one of the branches of the Balkan routes, from the Syrian-Turkish border to Italy. The purpose of this project was to witness the moving stories of violence and solidarity of the people who pass through these places. Out of this project came a book<\/b><\/a>, a photographic exhibition<\/a><\/b> e The Game<\/a><\/b>, a role-playing game to raise awareness of this issue. After this experience, ASCS joined the network Facing the Balkans<\/a><\/b>, collaborating in the various activities carried out together with the other associations that comprise it, in particular participating in a trip to monitor and learn about the realities of the Balkan countries that the network has supported over the years. ASCS still continues as an active member of the network.<\/p>\nOur last presence in the Balkan countries was in November 2022, when ASCS worker Davide spent about ten days in Subotica, on the border between Serbia and Hungary, a place of daily rejections and violence against people on the move. In particular, we accompanied and supported the organization No Name Kitchen<\/a><\/b> in operations to assist migrant people in informal encampments in the border strip.<\/p>\nRead more<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Updates from the Serbia-Hungary border, ASCS, November 2022<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
- Lipa, the field where Europe fails, ReVolts to the Balkans, Dec. 2021<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, the failed reception, ReVolved to the Balkans, July 2021<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n
- Unbroken Humanity, Seipersei, 2021<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n
- The Balkan route. Migrants without rights in the heart of Europe, ReVolved to the Balkans, February 2021<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n
- The Borders of Fortress Europe – News From the Serbian-Hungarian Frontier.<\/a><\/b>, transform! europe, January 2021<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Trieste (Italy-Slovenia)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/a>Photos by Matteo Rioda – Trieste<\/p><\/div>\n
Background<\/b><\/p>\n
Among the latest stops on one of the branches of the Balkan migration routes. In the year 2023, there are nearly 15,000 transiting people supported by the local associations we work with. These are high numbers compared to past years. More than half of the people who arrived in Trieste are from Afghanistan, then Pakistan, Turkish Kurdistan, and Bangladesh. From the end of 2023, the Italian government announced the resumption of border controls at the border (inside the Schengen area) with Slovenia.<\/p>\n
In addition to the people who transit, there are those who apply for asylum but do not access reception, in violation of the rules that stipulate that anyone seeking asylum has the right to a place in reception. The significant influx of people transiting the Balkan routes, coupled with the lack of reception of asylum seekers, means that the major critical issue in Trieste is the lack of a reception venue. Associations working in Trieste have reported to municipal and regional institutions the lack of a center where people can sleep a few nights before resuming their journey. In the absence of shelter, people passing through Trieste remain in tents in a large abandoned building near the train station, in precarious sanitary conditions.<\/p>\n
What ASCS does in Trieste<\/b><\/p>\n
From 2021, as an activity of ASCS Intercultural Animation two or three times each year, service and training events will be organized (ConFine<\/a><\/b>e Through<\/b><\/a>) for young people from 18 to 29 years old.<\/p>\nIn addition, since 2023 some medium- to long-term ASCS volunteers have been sent to Trieste to work in cooperation with local associations. For the entire month of March 2023, Philip, an ASCS volunteer, volunteered with local associations, in particular, with the
I punti di interesse del progetto in questo primo anno sono stati: le frontiere delle rotte balcaniche (in particolare <\/span>Trieste <\/b>e <\/span>Subotica<\/b>), le frontiere interne italiane (<\/span>Brennero<\/b>, <\/span>Como<\/b>, <\/span>Oulx<\/b>, <\/span>Ventimiglia<\/b>), le frontiera esterne settentrionali (<\/span>Calais<\/b>) e le frontiere esterne meridionali (<\/span>Ceuta<\/b>).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> Background<\/b><\/p>\n In the span of 2023, 29,437 people were recorded crossing the English Channel. Despite the number of crossings (in 2022 there had been more than 40,000 people crossing this border), the vast majority of people on the move who plan to head to the United Kingdom cannot get there because they are stuck first on the beaches of northern France, in places like Calais and Dunkirk.<\/p>\n For years now Calais has been transformed as a function of the passage of transiting people. Notably famous was the Calais Jungle, a giant informal encampment on the outskirts of the city, which was inhabited from 2006 to 2016, then dismantled. However, there are currently thousands of people in the Calais territory. Despite the fact that the Jungle has been dismantled, in fact, people have continued to inhabit more or less peripheral areas of the city (currently part of the old Jungle has been re-occupied). Informal settlements are multiple.<\/p>\n The big emergency is housing, as institutions do not provide any shelter. The Scalabrinian Fathers have been taking over 15 churches in the town of Calais for two years now, with the aim of accompanying the local population and supporting migrant people. The House La Margelle<\/b><\/a> is located in the old rectory house of one of the churches run by the Scalabrinian fathers. It is one of the few places for migrant people in the city: in particular, migrant people who, having arrived in Calais to try to reach the United Kingdom, are instead considering stopping in France are received here. The house also provides an emergency room<\/em> to accommodate, for a few nights, people in transit referred by other associations working to support migrant people in Calais.<\/p>\n What ASCS does in Calais<\/b><\/p>\n Since January 2024 we have taken charge, together with the parish of Calais, of a guest house: the house (pictured), until December 2023 was already used for reception, thanks to a local Jesuit. From January 2024, we began to take over management of the house, taking in 12 single men in transit in a vulnerable situation. The project is developed in cooperation with Caritas and other local associations, and is operationally managed by two\/three ASCS volunteer(s).<\/p>\n In 2023, in addition to the inspections carried out for the start of the reception, some short- and medium-term ASCS volunteer(s) did support activities at the Margelle shelter: Alex, an ASCS volunteer, spent the week of Christmas 2022 as a volunteer. Miriam, an ASCS volunteer, spent the entire month of August 2023 in Calais supporting La Margelle House, in collaboration with the Scalabrinian Fathers of Calais.<\/p>\n Read more<\/b><\/p>\n Background<\/b><\/p>\n Ceuta is located on the so-called Western<\/em> Mediterranean route, the Eastern Mediterranean route. It is one of two Spanish enclaves (along with Melilla) in Moroccan territory, on the Strait of Gibraltar. Half of the population living in this enclave is of Moroccan origin; most of this 50 percent have been Spanish nationals for years now, but they maintain the traditions of their roots (language, religion). The advantage, in the past, of arriving in these territories was the fact that one could reach the European Union without the need to cross the sea, since Ceuta is politically Spain but geographically Morocco. In 2018, this route was the most traveled route to EU territory, with nearly 60,000 crossings in one year. After that, thanks to a series of agreements between Spain, the European Union, Frontex, Morocco and other African countries, Ceuta and Melilla became virtually inaccessible. The borders are entirely militarized, with a barbed-wire wall 12 kilometers long (it also goes into the sea for part of it) and 10 meters high, consisting of two fences with a space between each fence of a few meters for a truck patrolling the border to pass through.<\/p>\n Overtaking him is almost impossible. Those trying to overcome it are both people from Sub-Saharan African countries and countries from Northwest Africa, particularly neighboring Morocco. Those from Sub-Saharan Africa are sometimes stuck on the other side of the border for years, some decide to settle in Morocco working informally, others try the route to the Canary Islands. Others keep trying, from Ceuta or Melilla, and sooner or later they succeed.<\/p>\n Those who manage to arrive in Ceuta, if from Sub-Saharan African countries, often end up in the Centros de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes <\/em>(CETI), a very first reception center for about 500 people. After an initial period in the Ceuta hotspot, you are moved to reception centers on the mainland. People of Moroccan descent who wish to proceed with their asylum application, on the other hand, do not have access to CETI until they are able to access the first asylum interview. Interview for which it is very complicated to book because it works with online reservations. Currently this system is in the hands of hackers who charge more than 1,000 euros to have one reserved. For this reason, many of the Moroccan people who would like to apply for asylum stay in Ceuta months or years before they succeed in doing so to raise the necessary money (with precarious and informal jobs). In the time of waiting to access asylum, people in Ceuta very often live on the street or in precarious housing solutions.<\/p>\n The Scalabrinian Fathers (responsible for the pastoral care of migration for the dioceses of C\u00e1diz and Ceuta) are present with a facility in Ceuta, the San Antonio Center (pictured), where outreach activities (by the Cardijn Association) and recreational and educational activities for people living in CETI (by theEl\u00ecn Association<\/b><\/a>).<\/p>\n What ASCS does in Ceuta<\/b><\/p>\n From January 2024, we began a permanent presence in Ceuta, in the San Antonio center (pictured) to support Moroccan migrant people without a housing solution in Ceuta<\/strong>. Currently, a shower service<\/strong> for migrant people sleeping on the streets is held (a necessary service to combat skin diseases such as scabies). It is also planned, in collaboration with the Scalabrinian fathers of the Algeciras-Cadiz-Ceuta mission, for the next few months, to beginhosting Moroccan people living on the streets<\/strong> in particularly vulnerable situations. The support and reception activity is and will be operationally managed by two volunteers\/operators from ASCS, in collaboration with the migration ministry, which is given to the Scalabrini Fathers and other local associations.<\/p>\n In addition, as part of outreach, we co-organize volunteer camps in the Ceuta and Tetuan area (the next ones are scheduled for summer 2024). In cooperation with the association Cardijn<\/b><\/a>e Tierra de todos<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n Read more<\/b><\/p>\n Photo by Francesco Cibati, Subotica<\/p><\/div>\n Background<\/b><\/p>\n In 2015, the Balkan routes, long traveled by people on the move heading toward the European Union (EU), assumed a crucial role as the main entry route to the continent. This change was triggered by the opening of borders by the EU and the Balkan states. Over the course of months, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed the Balkan countries via Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. These crossings have had a tangible impact on the geography and borders of these countries. Along the way, temporary refugee camps suddenly sprang up. In addition to the support of nongovernmental organizations, the solidarity of civil society, locally and internationally, with transiting people has been evident. Since March 2016 things have changed, an agreement between the EU and Turkey marked the final closure of the borders along the branches of the Balkan route. This has not only made the journey to the EU more risky and costly, but also increased the use of traffickers. Currently, tens of thousands of people find themselves trapped in refugee camps scattered across Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, with the only outlet to Central Europe being through dangerous illegal channels, endangering the lives of those who undertake them.<\/p>\n What ASCS does on Balkan routes.<\/b><\/p>\n Since 2019, ASCS has had an eye on what is happening on the Balkan routes. It all started with Unbroken Humanity<\/b><\/a>, a month-long journey across the land borders of one of the branches of the Balkan routes, from the Syrian-Turkish border to Italy. The purpose of this project was to witness the moving stories of violence and solidarity of the people who pass through these places. Out of this project came a book<\/b><\/a>, a photographic exhibition<\/a><\/b> e The Game<\/a><\/b>, a role-playing game to raise awareness of this issue. After this experience, ASCS joined the network Facing the Balkans<\/a><\/b>, collaborating in the various activities carried out together with the other associations that comprise it, in particular participating in a trip to monitor and learn about the realities of the Balkan countries that the network has supported over the years. ASCS still continues as an active member of the network.<\/p>\n Our last presence in the Balkan countries was in November 2022, when ASCS worker Davide spent about ten days in Subotica, on the border between Serbia and Hungary, a place of daily rejections and violence against people on the move. In particular, we accompanied and supported the organization No Name Kitchen<\/a><\/b> in operations to assist migrant people in informal encampments in the border strip.<\/p>\n Read more<\/b><\/p>\n Photos by Matteo Rioda – Trieste<\/p><\/div>\n Background<\/b><\/p>\n Among the latest stops on one of the branches of the Balkan migration routes. In the year 2023, there are nearly 15,000 transiting people supported by the local associations we work with. These are high numbers compared to past years. More than half of the people who arrived in Trieste are from Afghanistan, then Pakistan, Turkish Kurdistan, and Bangladesh. From the end of 2023, the Italian government announced the resumption of border controls at the border (inside the Schengen area) with Slovenia.<\/p>\n In addition to the people who transit, there are those who apply for asylum but do not access reception, in violation of the rules that stipulate that anyone seeking asylum has the right to a place in reception. The significant influx of people transiting the Balkan routes, coupled with the lack of reception of asylum seekers, means that the major critical issue in Trieste is the lack of a reception venue. Associations working in Trieste have reported to municipal and regional institutions the lack of a center where people can sleep a few nights before resuming their journey. In the absence of shelter, people passing through Trieste remain in tents in a large abandoned building near the train station, in precarious sanitary conditions.<\/p>\n What ASCS does in Trieste<\/b><\/p>\n From 2021, as an activity of ASCS Intercultural Animation two or three times each year, service and training events will be organized (ConFine<\/a><\/b>e Through<\/b><\/a>) for young people from 18 to 29 years old.<\/p>\n In addition, since 2023 some medium- to long-term ASCS volunteers have been sent to Trieste to work in cooperation with local associations. For the entire month of March 2023, Philip, an ASCS volunteer, volunteered with local associations, in particular, with the <\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Calais (France-United Kingdom)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Ceuta (Spain-Morocco)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Balkan routes<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Trieste (Italy-Slovenia)<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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