Tiny Italian resort protests at demand to house migrants
A PICTURESQUE fishing village on the Italian Riviera is in revolt against demands that it must accommodate a group of migrants and refugees.
Portofino, population 416, is one of 24 villages in the northwest region of Liguria told to accept 700 migrants to ease overcrowding in nearby Genoa.
The enclave, famous for its picturesque harbour and links with celebrities such as Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue and Sir Elton John, says it simply does not have space for the asylum seekers.
Italy is struggling to accommodate tens of thousands who wait months, sometimes years, for their asylum applications to be considered after crossing the Mediterranean from Libya.
“This is a really important tourist destination and we just don’t have spare accommodation,” said Matteo Viacava, the mayor of Portofino.
♦ Austrian soldiers have been deployed to the border with Italy to block illegal migrants. They will carry out checks on vehicles and trains north of the Brenner Pass, the main crossing point, in a move believed to be an attempt to head off a challenge from Right-wing, anti-immigration parties in October’s elections.