Immigrazione / Emigrazione

 

 

IMMIGRATION to Italy / vers l'Italie

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In this article I wish to relate our encounters with some immigrants here in Italy.

It already started in Venice where many Africans sell bags and hats on the street, on a sheet, and the Bangladeshy sell  selfie sticks and sunglasses. Then, at once, they gather everything as fast as they can and they run away because they do not have a permit to sell in the street ..... in fact exactly like in Paris or other European cities.

In Padova, in Florence , same story : many Africans and Bangladeshy, each selling their own specialties.

In Lucca, a Nigerian asked us for money. We started to chat and he told us his story which I try to recall here  : about 10 years ago he arrived in Lampeduza, an  itsy tiny island between Tunesia and Italy where most of the migrants fleeing Africa  head to and which has become the symbol of the North African emigration. This illegal emigration is now organised from Lybia . There have been so many deaths because of capsized boats that is called now in 2015, the deadliest migrant route in the world.
There are 2 processing centres on the island.
Lampeduza is part of the Sicilan province of Agrigento.
But back to our Nigerian. After arriving in Lampeduza he spent a year in Sicily after which he finally got his official Italian permit to reside in Italy. He found some jobs here and there for short periods. Then he decided to go to Norway but had to leave after 3 months because it would have been illegal to stay longer, so he went back to Italy. He also went to Germany but always ends up in Italy because  (and thanks to) his Italian Permit (sort of US Green Card).
You have to pay for a permit to stay on a particular place in town to sell stuff, which he did not do.  He is clueless of his future, clueless of how he is going to get out of this mess.  Going back to his country ? No way, because going back as poor as when he left would be the biggest shame.
And he asks now for charity in the street. He says himself he should not do it but he has no idea what else to do. He also says there is no cooperation between the Nigerians.

The other Africans that are selling hats, bags or other things are from Senegal.
In Pisa , Senegal;
In Cinque Terre, again Senegal, an old guy who had been living here for 20 years, selling his hats.

On the many beaches  we talked to several Senegalese who sell beach pareos and other each articles. One said he goes back every winter to see his family. Another one says he can only return every 2 or 3 years because he does not always have the 500 euros needed to fly back.

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Depuis le début du voyage nous voyons beaucoup d'Africains  sub-sahariens et de Bangladeshois vendant des articles dans la rue. Ils sont bien plus nombreux qu'il y a 20 ans. Dans cet article je relate nos rencontres avec certains d'entre eux.

Je demande quasi à chaque fois de quel pays ils sont originaires et la réponse est toujours la même : Nigeria ou Sénégal.

Un Nigérien nous raconte son histoire, depuis Lampeduza jusqu'aux rues de Lucca (voir la version en anglais).


 Nous papotons aussi avec les Sénégalais. Certains disent que la vie, ça va, on se débrouille, on rentre en hiver au pays voir la famille.  Un autre dit que non, c'est dur, il n'a pas pu rentrer au pays car il n'avait pas les 500 euros nécessaires.
Plusieurs sont en famille, les femmes font des tresses africaines sur la promenade, elles affichent les photos des modèles mais je n'ai pas vu grand monde se laisse coiffer.
Les paniers vendus sur la plage viennent de Madagascar.
Ils ont chaud, très chaud car nous subissons cette vague de chaleur nous amenant des 35 à 40 C et c'est la ramadan donc, déjà qu'ils ne peuvent pas manger la journée, il est aussi interdit de boire même de l'eau. Je sais, c'est un choix personnel de suivre ou non les préceptes de sa religion mais j'ai quand même beaucoup de sympathie pour ces hommes qui peinent pour arriver à nouer les deux bouts.


IMMIGRANTI IN ITALIA (2009)  :    3.891.295  (6,5 % popolazione total)
2.084.095 dall'Europa
871.000 dall'Africa
317.000 dall'America

LAVORATORI STRANIERI  REGISTRATI ALL'INAIL   ... 2008 : 3.266.395

1.1.2013, statistiques de Eurostat : 4,4 millons d'immigrants in Italy.

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 EMIGRATION out of Italy.

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We visit Museo Nazionale dell'emigrazione italiana where I took some pictures; I post a few in this article which are quite self explenatory.


Entre 1876 et 1940 : 5.000.000 Italiens sont partis vers les  USA et 2.500.000 vers l' Argentina

 Dove andare .......USA ? Argentina ? Brasil ?

There were books to prepare for the new country

Des guides permettaient de se préparer au nouveau pays

 South Africa, maybe?  Suid Afrika ?

Arrival in New York (1897)

Internment camps in the USA, whereunder one next to Los Angeles, in San Pedro.

 

We visited the cemetery of an Italian camp in South Africa (not mentioned in that blog since I never got that far)

 

Camps d'internement aux EU pendant la guerre.

 Pour nos amis Belges

 

La catastrophe du Bois-du-Cazier, charbonnage à Marcinelle (Belgique), encore dans toutes les mémoires des plus de 60 ans.

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COLONIES/PROTECTORATS italiens ( quelques décennies seulement) :

Africa Orientale Italiana  A.O.I.  =  Erytrea, Italian Somalia and Ethiopia
+ Libia Italiana

Au passage, une pensée pour notre ami Napoléon Awad, disparu il y a déjà 4 ans, qui avait épousé en 1957 (ou était-ce 56)  "Miss Italia Addis Abeba".


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La chanson italienne de la semaine :

Riccardo Cocciante, Margherita
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOiWNftto0s

et voici la version française : Richard Cocciante, né à Saigon de maman française et papa italien
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-cyBZnx9t4