Fire broke out on December 22 at a former high school in the southern Italian city of Bari where some 60 migrants have been living for the past 10 years. All of the migrants escaped unharmed. After the incident, the building was declared unfit for human habitation by authorities, sparking tension between the police and migrants who wanted to return inside.

Later in the day authorities allowed migrants to go back inside the high school while the municipality in Bari announced that it was looking for temporary accommodation for the residents.

The day of the incident

The cause of the fire is still unclear. After extinguishing the flames, firefighters examined the building and told the municipal administration that it was unsafe for its occupants, banning entry.

In a statement, the association 'Socrate' set up by the buildings' residents highlighted that the former school had been considered unsafe for a long time and that "the community of occupants had requested to be heard."

The association said that "a protocol of agreement" to renovate and secure the building "was signed in May 2014 by several institutions including the city of Bari, the Puglia region and the association Socrate set up by the facility's residents".

The statement went on to say that the administration had never followed up and had failed to implement the protocol "despite many requests by the association".

After the building was declared unsafe, tension erupted on Tuesday night between police and some 100 protesters gathered in front of the building.

Mayor Antonio Decaro also visited. Local citizens brought chairs, blankets, food and drinks for the migrants in front of the former high school. At the end of the day, the police allowed migrants to go back inside the building after the main entrance was opened, because no formal measure had been taken by authorities for the migrants' eviction.

Mayor says administration is finding housing

The municipal administration has announced that it is looking for accommodation for the people affected by the incident. The only family with an underage child living inside the former school has accepted accommodation in the house of a local community.

"We are finding beds in all the structures we have in the city", said Mayor Decaro. "They aren't migrants anymore," the mayor went on to say, referring to the building's residents, "they are adoptive Bari residents who live here and are loved by the community."

"They are concerned that the building won't be available anymore for them. Unfortunately, we can't make the building safe in a night, the only possibility we have is finding a solution immediately.

"This administration is absolutely in favor" of a renovation, the mayor concluded, explaining that a renovation project was already in the works to restore the building.