A judge in the north-western Italian city of Turin acquitted 18 left-wing activists who had trespassed on public property because evidence at the trial showed that they helped migrants who were trying to reach the border with France.
Four minors aged 15-16 apprehended by border police in Ventimiglia are believed to be part of a group of migrants who had left a reception center in the countryside of Isola Sant'Antonio, some 50 kilometers away.
A migrant was found dead on the roof of a train coming from Italy on Monday at the French station of Menton, just across the border. Authorities suspect the man was electrocuted.
Controls at the border between France and Italy have been tightened again this week following a spat between the two countries over the issue of migration. Last week, an Afghan man died near the border.
The growing number of migrants reported at the highway barrier A10 between Italy and France shows an increase of the overall migrant flows in Ventimiglia, at the border with Italy and France.
The bishop of Ventimiglia has criticized France over the "very negative consequences" of the suspension of the Schengen Accords along the country's border with Italy, citing discrimination in border control against African and Asian refugees compared with their Ukrainian counterparts.
A new permanent center for migrants is set to open in the Italian town of Ventimiglia, near the border with France. In recent weeks about 90 people have been arriving in the town every day, hoping to reach French territory.
Yet another tragedy of migration has been reported in Italy, near the border with France. Two foreigners on Saturday morning (April 2) died after being hit by a lorry on the A10 highway between Genoa and Ventimiglia, near Bordighera, in the northwestern region of Liguria. A third person was seriously injured in the accident.
The mayor of Ventimiglia on the border between France and Italy is calling for night patrols to prevent migrant flows from "causing problems of public order" in the city. He also criticized the Italian government for allowing the problems to continue.
Italian authorities have reported that a former convent in Ventimiglia is considered to be the only solution for the creation of a hosting center for migrants at the border with France. However, Bishop Antonio Suetta stressed that it would take over a year to open the facility. In the meantime, "the only possible path remains to reopen the Roya park" to those reaching the border, he noted.
A French court has acquitted Cédric Herrou, who helped thousands of migrants at the border with Italy. The farmer from the country's southeast has become a symbol of help for undocumented migrants.
At the French-Italian border, dozens of migrants from all walks of life are prevented every day from crossing into France. A fallback for those who are weary of this cat-and-mouse game, the city of Ventimiglia has become a merciless territory for migrants in recent months.