antirazzismo

Beyond the sea, beyond the wall
Maria Matteo

The border that divides the rich from the poor is thin, very thin. As thin as paper for passports and permits. Full sheets of stamps, photographs, fingerprints are the emblem of the barrier that separates those who travel as citizens of the world - luggage, plane, hotel - and those who travel by underground - no luggage, inflatable, air gap of a truck.
The Russian roulette of those who have nothing and everything to risk is without rules and with little hope.
For those arriving without papers it was another hot summer.
Interior Minister Maroni, the Northern League - thanks to agreements with Libya last year - boasts of being able to stop landing on our shores, in the last year have drastically reduced, forcing immigrants and refugees to seek other ways.
New roads for the desperate who are fleeing war and poverty. Bloodstained streets. The new route - opened in 2005 by refugees from Darfur after the violent crackdown implemented by the Egyptian government - passes in the Sinai desert into Israel. But it is a bitter route. Egyptian police shot and killed, the Israeli parliament, after a short season of warmth, approved harsh laws against illegal immigrants.
In mid-August over 10 Eritreans were killed by Egyptian security forces, others are missing, probably died of thirst in the desert. The budget now stands at 31 deaths in the first eight months of this year. A budget of war.

Translation and summary by Enrico Massetti (Web site on "The other Fabrizio de Andre")