In Piedmont, northwest Italy, the slopes and paths of Alta Val di Susa are well-known to migrants. They come here after landing on the south Sicilian island of Lampedusa and then traveling to Oulx and Claviere, two popular mountain resorts near Turin, which are only a few kilometers away from the border town of Bardonecchia. Even at the risk of dying on these mountains – known as 'Olympic' after Turin's 2006 Winter Games – they come in the hope of crossing to France.

12,000 migrants in two months

In the past two months a record number of migrants – around 12,000 people – have arrived here. In the whole of 2022, an estimated 16,000 people passed through the area.

The Alpine rescue team often has to intervene: during the night of September 20, they rescued a group of migrants stranded at 2,300 meters. Nobody was hurt on that occasion, but people have died during the attempt to cross the border. A few months ago, a person fell to their death from a cliff while being pursued by a French police drone.

The paths used by migrants to reach France aren't always the same and not all migrants are lucky enough to know those used by smugglers. Afghans, who are used to the mountains, are more likely to take the highest routes, rescuers said. However, many of them have also been rescued after being blocked by hypothermia. Migrants from Africa try instead to take the lowest paths, often trekking along ski slopes - in particular a cross-country ski track between Claviere and Montgenèvre.

Accommodation insufficient

Father Luigi Chiampo monitors the situation on that slope. He isn't only the parish priest of Bussoleno but also manages the hosting centre 'Rifugio Fraternità Massi' in Oulx. The shelter can accomodate up to 80 people but has been dealing with daily arrivals of 150 to 200 people since July. Many have reached Italy by boat.

"The situation is dramatic", Chiampo said. "The logistical centre of Bussoleno, which has about 100 places, is able to help us," noted Father Chiampo. "But there are people there who apply for asylum and want to stay in Italy. We are exhausted, there are people who sleep on their feet. We can't do more than this and it is normal to have one thousand problems, from security issues to battles between the poor for a dish of pasta," he added.

In July, the associations Rainbow4Africa and Talità Kum warned of an "explosive situation," when 100 people had been rescued in just one night. Paolo Narcisi, president of Rainbow4Africa, said a hosting facility is necessary to deal with the situation and "we will ask the prefect of Turin for one."

"We are certain that this flow will not decrease," he explained. Narcisi added that it usually takes two months after a catastrophic event for migrants from that country to reach Italy and then the border with France. "We shall see what happens two months after the earthquake in Morocco," he concluded, referring to the magnitude-6.8 quake that devastated communities in western Morocco on September 8.