Refugees stopped at the border; there were 13 in one car

All were squeezed into the car, including a two-and-a-half-year-old infant. This morning, at 4 o’clock,l with 13 people on board. Behind the wheel, there was a 34-year-old Brazilian, and packed into the seats, there were 10 men, a woman and the child. They were all Eritreans, with no documents or permits, who had been picked up at Milan’s Central Station (according to the car’s GPS navigator) and brought to the Swiss border. This is the first time, in the last few years, that such an evident case of “trafficking” has occurred. The Eritreans were without documents and failed to make any statements after the raid, thereby committing the crime of refusing to provide information concerning their identities. All were taken to the police headquarters in Varese for identification, and are waiting to be accommodated on the instructions of the Prefect.

It is possible that political asylum is granted as there is currently a war going on in Eritrea, although the people were hoping to reach another country. European immigration regulations allow them to stay in the first country in which there are officially registered. The objective was to get to Northern Europe. The Brazilian lives in Milan, is an illegal immigrant, is staying with a relative and has a clean record.

He explained that he had driven the illegal immigrants from Milan to Clivio, on the instructions of an Italian citizen known to authorities in Milan. For the “trip”, he apparently received a fee of only €90 (which he had in his pocket). One of the Eritreans had €4000 on him. It is believed that the trip cost about €400 per person, including the child. The car was not the property of the Brazilian. The man was interrogated, but, above all, was summarily tried this morning, for aiding and abetting illegal immigration. He plea bargained a 1 year, 4 month sentence with Judge Crema, on the request of the Public Prosecutor, Davide Toscani, with the sentence suspended. He is being released from prison in the afternoon. The driver said that he lives off odd jobs and that he had agreed to “ferry” the passengers, for money. The Tax Police are making inquiries to understand whether he acted alone, or had accomplices. In the last few months, about 6000 refugees have arrived on the Sicilian shores and travelled on to Central Station in Milan, where an immigration emergency is being faced. This situation may also have created an illegal market at our borders, which is what happens in the Mediterranean, and what happened in the second world war in our mountains.