Lampedusa migrants condemned by Mayor Salvatore Martello

DW ^ | 17 September 2017

[Lorianne]

The mayor of an island that was once a symbol for refugee compassion has warned it is descending into anarchy. His political opponents accuse him of stoking up fear and overstating the problem.

The mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa, destination for many migrants setting off from Tunisia, complained on Sunday that his town was on the verge of societal collapse.

Groups of migrants were flouting laws, harassing women and getting drunk, Mayor Salvatore Martello said in an open letter to Italian news agency ANSA and in comments to Italian news outlets.

Read more: 'Migrant doctor' heals the wounded on Lampedusa

"Threats, harassments, thefts, Lampedusa is about to collapse," Martello wrote, calling for the closure of the "useless" migrant center on the island. "Police are powerless," he wrote.

"The bars are full of Tunisians who are drunk and harass women. I receive tens of messages from frightened tourists, hoteliers, traders and restaurateurs who suffer daily."

The mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa, destination for many migrants setting off from Tunisia, complained on Sunday that his town was on the verge of societal collapse.

Groups of migrants were flouting laws, harassing women and getting drunk, Mayor Salvatore Martello said in an open letter to Italian news agency ANSA and in comments to Italian news outlets.

Read more: 'Migrant doctor' heals the wounded on Lampedusa

"Threats, harassments, thefts, Lampedusa is about to collapse," Martello wrote, calling for the closure of the "useless" migrant center on the island. "Police are powerless," he wrote.

"The bars are full of Tunisians who are drunk and harass women. I receive tens of messages from frightened tourists, hoteliers, traders and restaurateurs who suffer daily."

But Martello, who served as mayor from 1992 to 2002 and was re-elected in June, presented a picture of an island struggling with lawlessness.

Although the reception center is heavily guarded by multiple security agencies, rowdy migrants are able to come and go as they please, he argues.

Mayor accused of restoring fear

His comments were rejected by his predecessor Nicolini, who told ANSA he was vastly overstating the problem and that there were very few thefts.

"This is an attempt to restore the climate of fear that existed on Lampedusa before my election," she was quoted as saying.

Nicolini conceded that the flow of Libyan refugees had been replaced by small numbers of Tunisian migrants who were evading controls.

Read more: Italy impounds German NGO migrant rescue ship, lawmakers boost support for Libyan coastguard

Priest denies problems

The island's parish priest said he was surprised by Martello's comments, in comments to La Stampa(Italian language).

He said the recent Tunisian arrivals were "very young and certainly noisy," but that the island remained calm and it was possible to live there. He said he had recently brought a delegation to the island and that the migrants remained almost invisible.

"I'm not at all aware of disturbances or crimes." He said it was probable that Martello was seeking to boost his political position.

It would be a tall order for Rome to dismantle the so-called hotspot center, as it was opened following an explicit request from the European Union. The hotspots serve as point of first call to identify, document and often deport Mediterranean arrivals.

[Lorianne]

photos and maps at site

[rockinqsranch]

Oh goodie! We can get TBN on Direct TV channel 372. Looking forward to seeing the program.

[sparklite2]

Lampedusa

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That’s a lighting fixture store, right?

[W.]

I’d say that priest is spreading poop like cheap margarine!

[politicianslie]

They are NOT immigrants. They are invaders set up by Hussein Obama and his Secretary of State sidekick.

Hillary and Hussein were also setting up the Syrian gov't to fail by supplying "rebels" arms and other support. Who were the rebels in Syria, Libya and Egypt? Muslim terrorists.

By working to bring hundreds of thousands of Muslims into the west, Hussein set up the Muslim's dream of conquest of the world. Their prophet Mohamed will not return until all are Muslim, that means 100% of everyone alive. Therefore, you can convert to Islam or be killed, YOUR CHOICE.

If you have to ask WHY Hussein would work for the Muslim conquest of the world, you have not been paying attention.

The other option is to remove ALL Muslims from the west. Then they can kill each other in their Muslim $hitholes, not innocent people walking down the sidewalk.

[I want the USA back]

The politicians in Rome are responsible for this, and don’t care.

[Does so]

"Immigrants" getting drunk?

Maybe there's hope for them. ;)