«Italy and Europe have betrayed themselves regarding migrants»
«Don Mussie Zerai’s number is written on the walls of Libyan prisons, in traffickers’ warehouses, on the walls of trucks crossing the desert», wrote Alessandro Leogrande – journalist and writer who passed away in 2017 – in The frontier. Perhaps the most beautiful book among those born from the pain of the great shipwrecks of 2013: off the coast of Lampedusa on 3 October, a little further away eight days later. Over 600 deaths in one week. Mussie Zerai Yosief, a Catholic priest since 2010, was already a point of reference for those seeking refuge in Europe. In particular for his fellow Eritrean citizens. In 2015 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Two years later he was investigated for aiding and abetting illegal immigration by the Trapani prosecutor’s office, as part of the maxi-investigation against NGOs. The charges were later dismissed. For several months he has been living in Canada, where he deals only with pastoral activities. At least for now because, he says, “not everything is rosy here either, even if at least there is a legal access system”.
Don Mussie, what do you remember of the moment you received the news?
My blood ran cold. They told me: a disaster has happened, turn on the TV. I remember the images of the bodies being recovered. Chilling. And then the meeting with the survivors and family members, those 368 people closed inside the coffins lined up. An immense suffering.
He immediately reached Lampedusa. What struck you?
The torment, the screams, the pain of relatives. The disorientation and continuous crying of the survivors. Then the solidarity of the Lampedusans, who had welcomed the migrants into their home. The residents suffered together with those who had come from afar.
Ten years later, is there a judicial truth?
There was a trial for the man identified as the smuggler and the two fishing boats that had approached without providing assistance or raising the alarm were identified. But much remains to be discovered. It is impossible that a boat with 500 people could have arrived near the coast without the authorities noticing. There is also something that hasn’t been said about the delays in the rescue. Survivors and family members are not happy with how the matter was handled: they want full light and justice.
The government does not participate in the commemoration initiatives of October 3rd. And it is not the first time.
The Italian parliament was right to establish the “Day of Remembrance and Welcome”, which we hope will become European, but rhetorical celebrations are useless. What really causes pain is that people continue to die today. Neither Italy nor the EU has a search and rescue device. I don’t understand how countries that claim to be civilized, democratic, with an ancient humanistic and Christian tradition can allow this. Family members, survivors and those who have not stopped fighting in recent years do not want political catwalks, but concrete actions to protect the lives of people on the run. It is the countries that have closed their doors that force migrants to rely on human flesh brokers and traffickers.
With a visa. I took a plane and landed in Rome. In 1992 it could be done. I consider myself privileged because for thousands and thousands of Africans, even my fellow countrymen, it is impossible. There is a lack of political will to seriously address the issue. There is a lot of talk about safety, but if we want to guarantee both the safety of those who welcome and that of those who are welcomed, legal channels must be opened. Talk of security won’t hold until something is done for both sides.
In 2013, after the Lampedusa shipwrecks, Mare Nostrum was launched. In 2023, after the Cutro massacre, a crackdown on immigration. The only European naval mission under discussion would serve to repel people, not save them. What happened to Italy and Europe?
They have betrayed their fundamental principles. Their constitutional charters guarantee the right to asylum. Just thinking about pushing people back into the sea before analyzing their requests for protection is a denial of the principles on which democracy is based. However, Italy was already rejecting before, between 2009 and 2010 for example. In fact it was condemned by the EU Court.
We saw corpses floating and bodies washed ashore or heard of men and women swallowed by the sea without any witnesses. Yet we continue to fail to intervene. What generates addiction?
The dehumanization of these people. Call illegal immigrants, vacationers, fake refugees and so on. Everything has been said and attempts have been made to deny the real reasons why they risk their lives. They are demonized and criminalized even before they touch the ground, equated with criminals or invading armies. The emotion and empathy generated by the 2013 shipwrecks went to naught. The criminalization of refugees and those who help them won.
You have been accused of aiding and abetting illegal immigration. What did they complain about?
I received phone calls from desperate people who were in the middle of the Mediterranean. They asked for help and I notified the competent authorities. From 2003 to 2014 the Italian coast guard, the Maltese one, the UNHCR. Then also the NGOs, who arrived to fill the void left by the States. If you see someone injured on the ground call the ambulance, it’s normal. What is absurd is being reported for this. Then the charges were dropped, but the damage was done.
What game is the Meloni government playing on immigration?
They think that by targeting the most fragile, weak and vulnerable they can stop the flows. But if you don’t address the root causes, that is, the reasons that push people to risk their lives, you won’t stop them with fines, bureaucratic obstacles or violations of their rights. Thus you only increase their suffering. Mature democracies should defend the most vulnerable, not rage against them.
«Italy and Europe have betrayed themselves regarding migrants» (italy24.press)
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