UN and Vatican accuse Italy of deep-rooted racism

THE UNITED Nations, the government of Egypt and the Vatican yesterday all accused Italy of a “deep-rooted problem of racism” …

THE UNITED Nations, the government of Egypt and the Vatican yesterday all accused Italy of a “deep-rooted problem of racism” towards African migrant workers. The critical comments came after three days of violent unrest last week in the small Calabrian town of Rosarno, where African seasonal farm workers, police and residents all clashed.

More than 1,000 African migrant workers, mainly from Burkino Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Togo, were forced to flee from Rosarno over the weekend, fearing for their lives in the face of violent attacks by some residents. More than 50 people were injured in the clashes which began last Thursday after two migrants were injured by air-gun fire. At least three migrants were beaten with iron bars in a subsequent climate of caccia al nero (chase the black man).

In a joint communique, UN officials Jorge Bustamante and Githu Muigai, both migration experts, said yesterday: “The violence is extremely worrying since it reveals serious and deep-rooted problems of racism against these migrant workers.”

Egypt’s foreign ministry also expressed its concern, calling on the Italian government to protect migrants and minorities against discrimination. Spokesman Hossam Zaki alleged “discrimination, violence and hatred”, adding: “The latest round of violence was one example of various kinds of violations which migrants and minorities, including Arab Muslim minorities, in Italy face.”

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Following Pope Benedict’s call during his Sunday Angelus homily – urging people to remember that “every migrant is a human being, with a different culture, religion and history but . . . someone who merits respect” – the official Vatican daily, L’Osservatore Romano, yesterday also made critical reference to the events at Rosarno.

“Not only are they disgusting in themselves, but the incidents which dominate the news at the moment take us back to a dumb and savage hate towards another skin colour which we thought we had left behind us,” it said.

In a reference to Italy’s colonial experience in north Africa under dictator Benito Mussolini, L’Osservatore concluded that “it seems Italians are incapable of overcoming their racist past”.

Further church criticism came yesterday from Archbishop Bruno Schettino, head of a migrants’ foundation run by the Italian Bishops’ Conference, who pointed a finger at the “weakness of the Italian system of reception and integration” of migrant workers.

Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini, who is due to meet his opposite number Aboul Geit in Cairo on Saturday, defended the Italian police authorities in Rosarno saying that the sort of violence engendered by the migrants’ street riots last Thursday “could not be accepted”.

Meanwhile, life returned to “normal” in Rosarno and the surrounding area yesterday with a police dawn raid which saw 13 suspected Mafiosi arrested with valuable assets, including cars and properties, being sequestered.

Rosarno is reputedly a stronghold of the Calabrian Mafia, the ’Ndrangheta, which is alleged to have played a prominent role in the violent unrest.