Every year an average of ten thousand asylum seekers pass through the city of Rome, constituting more than 55% of the total presence in all of Italy.
 
Unfortunately the majority of these people are unable, for various reasons, to gain access to the shelters provided by the Municipality of Rome.

Five to six-hundred asylum seekers and refugees had been living at Rome’s Tiburtina Station in two abandoned warehouses belonging to the state railway company. These individuals were of predominantly African origin. The area had been originally occupied by immigrants from the Maghreb who squatted there for lack of other housing. In time, from 2000 on, asylum seekers began occupying this space as well, due to the serious affordable housing shortages in Rome.

With the impending closure of the facility commonly known as "Hotel Africa," our association offered services to reduce the trauma of moving as much as possible for squatters. Our efforts included a constant on-site presence in the days preceding the move to provide information to Hotel Africa residents. In addition, we worked with Municipal authorities and law enforcement to coordinate the transfer of the warehouse residents to the Municipal shelters.

As mentioned above, the Roman experience with asylum seekers is unique to the rest of Italy for the high numbers of asylum seekers that reside within the city and in its surrounding areas. In fact, although the majority of asylum seekers enter Italy through its Southern (mostly through Sicily and some through Calabria) and the North-Eastern (especially Friuli-Venezia Giulia) regions, a large number of asylum seekers move, with the help of local shelters, to Rome. There are several reasons that drive the decision to come to Rome. First, it is an international city, and the most well-known destination for those coming to Italy. Secondly, over the years, the majority of refugees and asylum seekers have established themselves in Rome because of the variety and quantity of services for immigrants and asylum seekers the city offers. The greater selection of services derives from a preponderance of public services as well as from the fact that the headquarters of most immigrant and refugee international and civil society organizations are found in Italy’s capital. Finally, Rome guarantees the best employment opportunities (though undeclared). The latter a consideration of no minimal import. For while it is undeniable that the majority of asylum seekers in Italy, have escaped from their countries of origin because of grave risks to their human rights and conditions of conflict, they also fled desperate economic conditions. (Poor economic conditions are not valid cause for refugee status. The current body of legislation on the matter considers economic motivation only when accompanied by a valid and substantial political asylum application.)

It is also useful to consider the fact that Italy is the main transit country of the entire European Union for asylum seekers and migrants from East and Central Africa. Thus these persons enter Italian territory with the intent of moving on to other countries where they believe to find better chances for employment and positive results to their asylum application. Main countries of destination include: Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, Norway, etc.

Thus, Rome is an attractive point of entry due to the fact that is has an inter-continental airport and a station where trains depart for international destinations. Furthermore, one can find criminal organizations that, for a hefty fee, provide asylum seekers with false identity papers for their move to a European country.

However, asylum seekers make these plans regardless or perhaps ignorant of the fact that Italy, and the entire European Union, signed the Dublin Convention of 15 June 1990 (which entered into force in 1997) that defines State competence to evaluate asylum applications. The convention states that within the European Community, the only state with authority to grant refugee status is that in which the application was made.

Thus, when asylum seekers are identified by law enforcement, or by other authorities upon their arrival in the European country of destination, or should they request political asylum once again, they will be identified by the EURODAC fingerprint reading system and will be expelled and sent back to Italy as asylum seekers.

There are however, numerous initiatives currently underway in Rome aimed at asylum seekers, developed by the public institutions in partnership with civil society organizations. Currently, through the various social work organizations, the Special Immigration Office (USI) of the Municipality of Rome manages the accommodation of asylum seekers in the city. In particular, aside from the Ferrhotel, there are 15 other active integration shelters, subdivided between 19 facilities with 689 beds, of which 315 are single beds and 270 are for family use, meaning single women and their minor children or simply single women.

The following is statistical data representing asylum seekers and refugees present in Rome:

• 60% are from Iraq and Turkey (Kurds), Iran, and Afghanistan;
• 20% come from Georgia, the Russian Federation (Cechnya), Kosovo, Romania;
• 15% from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sierra Leon, Democratic Republic of Congo;
  
• 5% from Colombia.

Of the approximately 10,000 asylum seekers that currently travel toward Rome, 70% are single men and 30% are families with young children. Only around 15% remain in Italy.  Presently, according to Municipality estimates, there are over 1,000 asylum seekers and refugees present in Rome.

In collaboration with the Operative Unit of the Municipality of Rome,