Jadhav*, 18 years old, from Bangladesh, arrived Italy 10 months ago, but still haunted by the memories of his journey across the Mediterranean with human smugglers.
“There are 156 people squeezed in a small boat. There are women and children,” Jadaf translated in poor Italian and Bengali on a smartphone app. “The waves come from one side. People are crying. There is no hope of survival.”
Determined to pursue a better life Europe, Jadhav flew to Egypt via Dubai, and then arrived in Libya by land. He worked in Tripoli for a year-working as a welder and paving roads in a supermarket-where he was sentenced to 11 days in prison, tortured, and released until his parents sent a ransom.
Jadhav stared at the huge artwork being drawn on the street corner ahead, his eyes staring. “The conditions are terrible,” he said of the prisons in Libya. “Sometimes we only get one bread and a small bottle of water every day.”
Thousands of young immigrants in Italy have similar stories. As the pandemic drives global migration, 39,000 people arrived in the country by boat Since the beginning of the year-twice as much as the same period 12 months ago. Unaccompanied minors-minors under the age of 18 who are not accompanied by their parents-account for nearly one-sixth of the total. Experts predict that the unrest in Afghanistan may cause more people to arrive.
As Italy is plagued by continuous unemployment and the government’s resources for integration are stretched, many new immigrants have come to the EU’s largest country Migration hotspot, Hard-working.
But an innovative plan is helping dozens of people build a brighter future. Atelier d’Arte Pubblica (MAAP) in Matera, launched in 2019, is one of the few initiatives in Italy to use public art to integrate new immigrants into the country. For its most ambitious project to date, Barcelona street artist Mohamed L’Ghacham teamed up with immigrants from three towns in Basilicata, a rugged region of southern Italy, to implement three projects in a row in 17 days. The goal is to transform a building in each location with towering murals.
In San Chirico Raparo, L’Ghacham works with 11 unaccompanied minors living in the local center. When the artist painted murals alone, he involved young immigrants in the creative process, asking them to propose objects to be included in the design, and teaching them how to mix paintings. The gradually evolving mural became a focal point, turning a quiet street corner in the usually quiet town (only 1,000 people) into a lively center. The project organizers conducted communication exercises with small-scale young immigrants, allowing participants to discuss their past; curious residents attracted by the spectacle joined the conversation.
The bright colors of the walls contrast sharply with the participants’ dark past stories. 17-year-old Nakia* departed from Egypt at the age of 10, spent 6 years on the road, worked in Turkey, Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and drove across the border between Croatia and Slovenia in a truck. Sulayman* is a 15-year-old Gambian who worked in Mali and Niger before moving to Libya.
This North African country is notorious among immigrants for its corrupt and barbaric police. Many people worry about being arrested while trying to save money for the ferry, which can cost as much as 5,000 euros (£4,300). Suleiman, who had been in jail four times, pointed to him and said that a guard had cut his wrist scar. Jadhav folded his collar, revealing the traces of his cigarette burns in prison.
To reach Italy from Libya, migrants must cross the 180-250 miles of central Mediterranean, a deadly migration route. 1,095 lives were taken According to the International Organization for Migration, so far this year.
“When you cross the Mediterranean, there are three outcomes,” Suleiman said, his own journey took four days. “Either go to Italy, get caught by the Libyans, or drown.”
Once in Italy, unaccompanied minors will automatically be protected until they reach 18 years of age. They are placed in housing projects across the country and receive language counseling, legal and psychological support, and vocational training.
By the time they reach adulthood, many people have received international protection for 1 to 5 years to buy time to find contract work and convert their residence permits to work visas.But with Nearly half of young people in southern Italy are unemployedStefania Congia, Director of the Department of Immigration and Integration of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, said that many immigrants are forced to enter hidden markets.
At the same time, Italian housing projects are reaching a saturation point. According to the Italian National Association of Municipalities, which helps run the system, only 5% of unaccompanied minors are available.In order to keep up with the arrival of the Ministry of the Interior Announce Funding for 96 new housing projects for minors in July and August expanded the existing network by two-thirds. In May of this year, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi once again called for the establishment of a new, “humane” EU-wide immigration management system.
The organizers of MAAP believe that integrating immigrants into local communities can improve their job prospects and social well-being. The plan was founded by Stefania Dubla, the former curator of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The plan is being launched and will be promoted in Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and Puglia outside the Basilicata region next year.
L’Ghacham’s frescoes in San Chirico Raparo breathe life into the dusty streets below. The design depicts a woman standing behind an open door with a table in the foreground preparing dinner. The items chosen by the unaccompanied minor—a boat, a traditional African drum and a photo of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan—are displayed on a chest of drawers.
While young immigrants and Italian children watched the murals take shape, L’Ghacham showed some methods of how to mix paint. Others participate in an activity that includes picking cards from a pack of cards and discussing the text on the cards. Residents walked out of their homes and offered fruits, coffee and limoncello.
For up-and-coming artist Nakia, this project provided inspiration for the design he painted on the bedroom wall. For others, L’Ghacham’s murals symbolize their entry into Italian society. “The beauty of this plan is that it brings people together,” said Karim*, a 17-year-old from Egypt. “We may not stay in San Chirico forever, but now we have left our mark.”
*Name has been changed
