Revolt in Rome

Suicide triggers riot in deportation center

The deportation centers in Italy are often operating beyond capacity. (symbolic image)

(Bild: AFP)

A violent protest broke out in a deportation center for migrants in Rome on Sunday after a 22-year-old man from Guinea hanged himself from the outside railing of his compartment. In the recent past, riots have repeatedly broken out in similar facilities in Italy following personal tragedies.

The deceased left a message asking for his body to be returned to Africa. 14 people were arrested in connection with the riots, the judicial authorities announced on Monday.

The man had been detained for months in the Ponte Galeria deportation center in Rome. His asylum application was still being examined, Italian media reported on Monday. "I miss Africa very much and my mother too, I don't want her to cry for me. Peace be with my soul. May I rest in peace," his message continued.

Several emergency services injured
The suicide triggered a riot by the inmates, in which two Carabinieri and an army soldier were injured. Stones were thrown at the security forces. The migrants tried to set fire to a car and break down a door. The riots were suppressed by the police using tear gas.

Facility repeatedly criticized
The protest sparked political debate. Opposition left-wing parties called for the closure of the facility, which has repeatedly been criticized for its living conditions. "You don't have to wait for investigations to establish that places like the Ponte Galeria deportation center are completely inhumane. You don't need to wait for the death of a young person to say clearly that these places should be closed immediately," said Rome's guarantor of the rights of detainees, Valentina Calderone, who visited the facility together with MPs Cecilia D'Elia and Riccardo Magi.

A large-scale operation was underway on the grounds of the deportation facility:

"We are all shocked by the death of the young migrant. The living conditions in the detention center are very poor," said D'Elia. Magi described the deportation centers for migrants in Italy as "black holes of law and humanity".

Repeated riots and incidents
According to the MPs, the young African had arrived a few days ago from a reception center in Trapani, Sicily, where he had been staying since mid-October. On Friday, he had become distressed. He cried and said that he wanted to return to Guinea because he had two little brothers there whom he had to look after otherwise they would starve to death. He was inconsolable, some migrants said.

On Saturday, there were also protests at a reception camp in Gradisca d'Isonzo in Friuli Venezia Giulia after a migrant fell from the roof and ended up in hospital in a serious condition. A few weeks ago, a reception camp in Milo in Sicily was vandalized by migrants. Last year, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced that a deportation center for migrants would be set up in every region. However, the list of locations has not yet been made public.

If you or a person close to you are in an exceptional psychological situation or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the telephone helpline on 142. You can find other crisis telephones and emergency numbers HERE.