Fast track for Ukrainians, slow train for other refugees in Italy

By Jade Wilson

Italy is trying to stem the flow of tens of thousands of migrants arriving by boat but has welcomed around 150,000 Ukrainians. As part of a special series on the EU’s response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis and the two-tier system it created, Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Context explores these double standards.

Kabinet Camara says that he fled in fear from the west African state of Guinea six years ago after receiving threats because of his work at an organisation fighting child exploitation. “The government started opposing me and it was very hard to defend myself from the attacks. Eventually, I was forced to flee,” he said.

But seeking asylum in Italy, where he has lived since 2017, was “very different from what I expected,” Camara said, describing overcrowded conditions at the reception centre where he was sent and poor staffing leading to delays. “In the reception centre, there were 10 people to take care of 1,000.”

Get the full story on the Street News app, available on Apple and Google stores