A report titled Silos Vuoto-Strade Piene ("Empty Silos - Full Streets") was presented in Trieste on October 16, highlighting the plight of 100 to 120 migrants sleeping near the train station each night between June and September, after an abandoned warehouse used for shelter was cleared.
The Silos ex-warehouse, a dilapidated structure near the Trieste train station, had become a shelter for hundreds of asylum seekers arriving via the Balkan route. However, in June, the site was evacuated due to growing security concerns.
Since then, an average of 100 to 120 migrants have been sleeping on the streets near the train station every night, according to associations such as Comunità di San Martino al Campo, Diaconia Valdese, Donk, ICS, International Rescue Committee, Linea d'Ombra, and No Name Kitchen.
These figures were included in a report titled Silos Vuoto-Strade Piene ("Empty Silos - Full Streets"), presented in Trieste on October 16. The associations analyzed the situation following the closure of the warehouse, which many migrants had used as a shelter.
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Number of migrants in city falls but more at the station
From January to August 2024, the associations encountered 8,686 migrants in Trieste, down from 9,973 in 2023 -- a thirteen percent decrease. However, this reduction "does not change the needs" of migrants in the city, the associations noted.
Between June 21 and September 20, a total of 5,054 people were recorded, averaging around 55 new arrivals per day. Of these, fifty-seven percent were single adult men (2,847), twenty-one percent were families (1,099 people), nineteen percent were unaccompanied minors (993), and three percent were single adult women (125).
The main countries of origin were Afghanistan, Syria, and Kurdish areas of Turkey. Only 18 percent (885) said that they wanted to request international protection in Trieste.
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Reception times increasing, frequent transfers
The report highlighted long waiting times for reception, with delays "exceeding 20 days" during the period studied. The frequency of transfers also increased. Between June 24 and September 21, there were 13 transfers, including seven to Sardinia, affecting around 450 people.
Despite this, "an average of 100 asylum seekers can still be found daily, waiting for reception near the train station." The report recommended that the Trieste town council "increase low-threshold services" and "provide an evening meal" for those in need. It also urged the police to "correctly apply regulations regarding access to asylum procedures."
The report called on the prefect's office to expedite the rehabilitation of the Campo Sacro hostel and urged both the prefecture and the interior ministry to "ensure regular, consistent transfers from Trieste."
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