Italy: Village of 550 People Says No to Six Refugees
Maria Elena Spagnolo, Las Tampa, March 20, 2017
Treviso Bresciano, a village of 550 people near the town of Brescia, in northern Italy, has voted against the acceptance of six asylum seekers. The decision was made by a vote at an assembly on Friday. Citizens responded anonymously to the question “Do you want refugees to come to our territory?”. A total of 114 residents, one-fifth of the population, casted their vote and the majority said no: 68 people against, 46 for.
The public meeting was organized by mayor Mauro Piccinelli, who was elected in 2014 on a civic list. “We are using means made available by the Statute on issues that closely affect the community and it is right that citizens decide”, said the mayor. During the meeting, which included a lively debate, the Protection System for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (Sprar) was presented. Treviso Bresciano, which is located in an area called Valle Sabbia, had been invited to join the System.
Valle Sabbia is already home to 170 asylum seekers who are cared for by external cooperatives without control by local authorities. However, prefecture said that the number could increase rapidly. The hypothesis is to accommodate six asylum seekers in the Valle Sabbia municipalities that have a population of less than two thousand. Treviso Bresciano is one of them.Some mayors of local municipalities belonging to the Northern League are against the reception of refugees.
A year and a half ago in the town of Collio, near Brescia, the arrival of nineteen migrants of African origin sparked protests in the community. Stones and cherry bombs were thrown.
