The National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) on August 29 requested a meeting at the Interior Ministry to address a series of urgent issues related to the hosting of migrants across the country.
The National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) on August 29 denounced in a statement the "grave lack of national funding to host minors, difficulties in managing disembarkations from NGO-run ships carrying out rescue operations at sea and information on the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum," noting these are "urgent matters that must be examined".
ANCI called for a meeting to be summoned at the Interior Ministry as soon as possible to discuss these issues.
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Shared criteria, management for port cities necessary
"Knowing and sharing with port cities the criteria of assignation and operational modes to manage the landing of NGO ships operating rescue operations at sea represents an issue that ANCI has highlighted since the new distribution system" for migrants came into force, stated Gianguido D'Alberto, the ANCI delegate on immigration and mayor of the Abruzzo city of Teramo.
D'Alberto denounced the strong difficulties faced by the mayors affected, which is having "a direct impact on hosting management and municipal services".
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Cities indebted due to lack of resources to host minors
"This issue is registered in addition to a theme, which we have already repeatedly highlighted and on which we have not been reassured", concerning the "lack of coverage of the Fund devoted to hosting unaccompanied migrant minors", denounced D'Alberto.
He stressed that this "had never happened before and municipalities are in serious difficulty" and indebted.
"It is absolutely necessary to cover the expenses paid for by Municipalities which have not been reimbursed yet for the years 2023 and 2024; we are also waiting for concrete answers on 2025, given that funding will not be enough to pay back Municipalities."
D'Alberto went on to say that in order to ensure quality, safeguard as well as the municipalities' autonomy in evaluating how many migrants can be hosted in their territories, they are "waiting for guarantees also regarding the renewed centrality and further expansion of the SAI network, coherently with the framework planned by the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum."
"Mayors are guaranteeing cooperation, but without consultation and adequate resources, ensuring effective interventions and adequate standards becomes complex," he concluded.
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