French-Italian border: people continue to die. Appeal to the authorities

The recent deaths of Fathallah Balafhail, 31 years old of Moroccan origin, found dead in the first days of January 2022 not far from Modane, in France, Ullah Rezwan Sheyzad, 15 years old from Afghanistan, and the person who died in Latte, whose identity cannot be ascertained due to the cause of death, strongly testify to the need for a change in border management. The associations appeal to the French, Italian and local authorities in a document denouncing the reality of the situation at the French-Italian border.

These episodes clearly show that despite the increase in controls, the desire to carry out the migration project pushes people to find new migration routes, at the expense of their own safety, and even find death.

What is happening in border areas, including the recent deaths, is according to the signatory associations a side effect of precise political choices taken both at local and national level and at European level. There is an urgent need for a change in the approach to the management of Europe’s internal and external borders, making the protection of fundamental rights and the right to asylum the legal principle around which to rethink migration policies.

The right to asylum, including for minors and vulnerable people, and other fundamental rights such as the right to health and to have access to even a minimal form of shelter to avoid serious forms of marginalisation, are violated at the borders. Moreover, the right to truth is violated when the deceased remain without identity.

The signatory organisations express their sincere and unconditional support to the families of the deceased and call on civil society organisations to promote all useful actions to oppose the amendments to the Schengen Borders Code and, more broadly, the additional instruments provided by the Schengen Strategy that are potentially detrimental to the fundamental rights of foreign citizens.

They also ask

• to the Italian and French authorities to change their policies regarding the management of internal borders, with particular reference to the way in which police and border controls are carried out, ensuring full respect for fundamental rights and the principles recognised, in particular, by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as the obligations regarding international protection and non-refoulement;
• local authorities to provide adequate services to meet the needs and protection requirements of migrants present at border locations, ensuring first and foremost the reception of people in transit.

First signotaries:

·       ASGI

·      Push-back Alarm Austria

·      Progetto Melting Pot Europa

·      Médecins du Monde

·      Roya Citoyenne 

·      Diaconia Valdese

·      WeWorld Onlus

·      Pays de Fayence Solidaire

·      Border Violence Monitoring Network

·      Danish Refugee Council Italy

·      No Name Kitchen

·      RiVolti ai Balcani

Here the associatios and individuals who signed the appeal through the Google Module.

If you also want to sign the appeal, here is the form: