PRESS RELEASE: MEETING AT QUESTURA
24-10-2023
Today we were received by Questora Fusiello and Director Ceria of the Immigration Office of the Bologna
Police Headquarters to discuss the disastrous situation in which hundreds of asylum seekers find
themselves in Bologna’s territory. We brought the voices and demands of the migrants who arrived in
Bologna in the last period and who are now housed at the Centre of Extraordinary Reception (CAS) Mattei
who have been waiting for months (even 6-7 months!!) to be able to start the asylum procedure, despite
the ten-day time limit set by the regulations. The very long waiting times force people into a condition of
legal invisibility: without any documents, they are not guaranteed any rights.
Our delegation, composed of lawyers from ASGI (Associazione Studi Giuridici on Immigration), YaBasta
association and activists who organised the demonstration on 14th October against the CPRs, reiterated
the immediate need to speed up the asylum process. While the meeting took place, a garrison of dozens
inhabitants of the CAS Mattei gathered in front of the Questura, stressing the urgency of immediate
solutions.
Our requests to the Questura are:
1- Extraordinary opening of the Immigration Office at the Questura on weekends to facilitate quicker
submissions of asylum applications (similarly to what was done this summer for passport paperwork,
allowing Italians to go on holiday)
2- An increase in staff dedicated to structurally solving the delays in the Immigration Office
3 – The activation of a discussion table with other city institutions (Prefecture, Municipality and ASP) to find
resources and personnel to implement concrete solutions for the procedures for international protection.
Chief officers at Questura informed us that in the next few weeks about ten temporary workers will be
hired by the Immigration Office to deal with these and other practices.
Questora Fusiello then requested support from the associations in the formalisation of asylum applications.
We, on the other hand, strongly believe that the role of associations – which are already involved in
supporting the rights of migrants – is not to carry out the functions of the Police Headquarters, nor to repair
their shortcomings.
Therefore, we demand that the Police Headquarter itself assume its institutional responsibilities, repairing
as soon as possible the suspension of rights of hundreds of migrants: invisible, marginalised and made more
vulnerable to forms of exploitation such as undeclared work, trafficking, and forced labour.
Faced with the collapse of the Government Offices in the ordinary management of a structural
phenomenon such as migratory movements, we reiterate the necessity for immediate solutions to be
found, so that those who arrive to Italy can exercise their basic rights and begin their journey of autonomy.
We feel that an important first step has been taken today, but it is necessary that the Municipality of
Bologna and the ASP also play an active role in monitoring access to international protection and reception
measures.
The meeting will be adjourned in a fortnight, but in the meantime we will continue the mobilisation with
the inhabitants of the CAS Mattei for residence permits and reception.
Dignity for all!

Associazione YaBasta Bologna