Italy: Controversy in Trieste over Caritas migrant center opening

Rome: The opening of a migrant facility in the Italian city of Trieste on February 19 sparked political controversy last week between government party representatives and the opposition.

The inauguration of Spazio 11, a solidarity waiting area for migrants and refugees in Trieste, has ignited heated political debate.

The initiative, led by the diocesan Caritas in collaboration with the socio-health volunteer association Donk-Humanitarian Medicine ODV and supported by the UNHCR, provides a sheltered space where migrants can find chairs to rest, restrooms, hot beverages, phone charging stations, medical assistance, and legal information.

The facility will also offer overnight accommodation for up to 70 people.

Claudio Giacomelli, regional leader of the Fratelli d’Italia party, called the center’s opening “a terrible development for the city.”

“I have great respect for His Excellency the Bishop, but this is bad news — especially for the neighborhood around Piazza Libertà, where Trieste residents have already paid a heavy social price,” he told a regional broadcaster.

He further argued that “this facility is not for asylum seekers but for those who pass through the city and leave immediately — meaning they are irregular migrants and should not be here.”

Francesco Russo, regional vice president of the Democratic Party, countered, saying, “The issue of migration is real, but while some try to offer solutions, others — despite being in government — use it to cover their failures and exploit it for cheap propaganda.”

Russo criticized “the unacceptable attack on the Church of Trieste (how ironic, given Meloni’s party slogan: ‘I am a woman, I am a Christian’) and the institutions that collaborated with Caritas and the UN to address a situation affecting our entire city. The Prefecture and the Police Headquarters were front and center at the initiative’s launch.”

Finally, he questioned, “Where have Giacomelli and his Fratelli d’Italia colleagues been all these years? They seem to forget they are the ones in power.”