The first assistance emergency center (PAD) in Ventimiglia, in the Italian region of Liguria on the border with France, was inaugurated on June 8.
The first assistance emergency center (PAD) in Ventimiglia's objective is to provide assistance for the most vulnerable migrants, women, and children in particular. The center was inaugurated on June 8 by the Prefect of the city of Imperia, Valerio Massimo Romeo, together with Mayor Flavio Di Muro.
The center is located in the Liguria region, at the border with France and it is situated near a Caritas (Catholic charity) center with the aim of providing assistance for the most vulnerable migrants, therefore mostly women and children.
For the occasion, Di Muro and Romeo signed a memorandum of understanding defining the responsibilities of the Municipality and the Prefecture in managing the humanitarian emergency in the region.
'A sixth-month experimental agreement' says Mayor Di Muro
"Our priority is to guarantee an enhanced livability for the people of Ventimiglia," said the Mayor. It is not the role or responsibility of the Mayor or of the Council to regulate the city's shelter facilities, the opening of the centers are responsibilities that belong to the State and are executed by the institutions across the territory.
However, continued the mayor, we do not shy away from our assistance and minimal shelter activities that must be offered to migrants arriving in our city.
The PAD project is designed as a six-month experiment. Di Muro explained that the Municipality will not incur any costs because volunteer associations will manage the project.
'The only solution' thinks Prefect Romeo
The Prefect assured his support of the Mayor: "Ventimiglia is a very complex city on the border with France. Today, together with the Mayor, we signed the only possible solution in this context concerning the migration flows, which is different from other contexts on Italian territory," he said.
"On our national territory migrants present asylum requests, here in Ventimiglia, there are no asylum-seekers, but only people who want to cross the border to France, and those who do not submit an asylum request is technically irregularly in the country", he underlined.