UKH

A volunteer-run shelter in Briançon which has provided refuge and food for migrants travelling into France via Italy over high mountain passes is facing closure at the end of this month as a newly-elected Republican mayor, Arnaud Murgia, has declined to renew the building's occupancy agreement. The project was launched in 2017 and has assisted over 11,000 migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean Sea and mountain passes en route from African nations and from as far as Afghanistan. A petition against the closure has attracted nearly 37,000 signatures, and Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) have expressed their concerns as the winter season approaches amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more

Thanks for publishing this, it gets covered in the local press but I see little coverage elsewhere. Worth mentioning that there are associated networks helping migrants once they move on from Briançon - we have friends who have housed a couple of young Africans for the last year and helped them get residency in France.

Why are they fleeing Italy? Is it Fascists?

Heroic acts of solidarity, which underscores the basic fact that our instinct is to help each other - even as racist right-wing politicians - from Priti Patel to Mator Murgia - try to undermine and discredit these great feelings and acts of love toward humanity, justice and truth.

French is a widely spoken language across much of North Africa, and France has lots of communities from these countries.They probably have a far greater chance of meaningful work and integration in France. 

The migrants I've met are mostly from French speaking west Africa, and all from French speaking countries.

There is a lot of support locally for the solidarity programs, hopefully they will find a new option for the refuge. 

Presumably because 'Italy receives more refugees and asylum seekers each year than any other country in Europe' (https://www.rescue.org/country/italy) and has recently had a particularly draconian approach towards refugees and migrants (https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/01/31/italy-revoke-abusive-anti-asylum-decree...). The measures introduced under Matteo Salvini treat all migrants in a pretty 'fascistic' way, so I can see why you might want to leave Italy if you were seeking asylum.

I have a feeling that you were just mocking the article as overly worthy or 'woke', but I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt in case you were genuinely interested. 

Naaa, like my ex FB friends who say "why have they crossed 10 safe countries to get to England" without researching why. Just lazy really.

E

Yes, there are very few reports in English-language news. I've tried and failed to get it more coverage.

seems the shelter won't close at the end of October but will have 6 months to find new premises

https://www.ledauphine.com/politique/2020/10/22/finalement-le-refuge-pour-m...