The ship left. We got some food, but nobody could eat. We thought the Greek police would beat us when we arrive there, but they did not. We arrived in Patras around 4pm. A police van took us to the police station. We were fingerprinted and were given a deportation order. M.J., from Afghanistan67: Lecce / Bari – Patras On April 15 (2012) a boat with 45 refugees arrived in Calabria in the southern coasts of Italy. Those arrested were detained in the police station In Italy they did not give us any paper. I want to in Lecce. Among them, there were two minor ask the Italians, why do you take our fingerprints, brothers. The Italian authorities registered only one if you just want to send us back to Greece? I did of them as a minor, the other was registered as an not kill anyone. I just travelled with no documents. adult. After 25 days in detention, the two brothers I am speaking for me and on behalf of all my were separated. The “adult” was readmitted to friends. I face serious problems in Afghanistan. Greece with the Superfast, along with others from Maybe it is better to die there. I never cried during the port of Bari. the readmission. The others did. They said, their families had even sold their own clothes to make it possible for them to reach a safe place. When I N., from Algeria68: Lecce / Bari - Patras heard this, I noticed I had also started to cry. Some of us, who have been returned back to Greece now have gone crazy. The night following our arrival in Greece, I felt awful. My temporal artery was swollen. I went to the hospital, but they did not help me, because I do not have a pink card. Now, I usually don’t feel anything about this deportation. I cannot change it anyway. It happened. Sometimes I suddenly become very sad. There is no sense in all this. I risked my life for coming to Greece and I risked it once more to arrive in Italy. It took me three days to get better, after the deportation from Italy. Then I got very sad again. The thought of my mother and my brother give me strength. These are the only people I have. I have nothing else. Those who died in the hospital in Italy… What do their families have now? We took their mobile phones and called their families to tell them the bad news.”66 66 See Italian news: Immigrati, in 44 sbarcati a Locri, un morto e due feriti: Sono in tutto 44 gli immigrati, prevalentemente afgani, giunti stamani a Locri a bordo di un natante che, secondo le prime testimonianze, li avrebbe abbandonati ad alcune decine di metri dalla riva, costringendoli a nuotare e provocando la morte di un uomo di 36 anni ed il ferimento di altre due persone, attualmente ricoverate in gravi condizioni presso l’ospedale di Locri. Sulla spiaggia sono stati ritrovati anche degli indumenti, e l’ipotesi piu’ probabile e’ che altri immigrati siano riusciti a sfuggire. Le 44 persone sono arrivate dall’Afghanistan a bordo di un peschereccio partito dalle coste della Grecia. Due giorni di mare con pochissima acqua e viveri anche se la navigazione e’ stata aiutata dalle buone condizioni del mare. La vittima, dai primo sommari racconti dei sopravvissuti, potrebbe essere morta di stenti dopo l’ultimo sforzo compiuto per raggiungere la terra ferma, pare che non sapesse nuotare, ma sulle cause del decesso si aspetta l’esito della perizia del medico legale. Tutti gli immigrati intanto dopo le prime cure sono stati trasportati con l’aiuto della Protezione civile nel centro di prima accoglienza presso la Confarternita di Siderno Superiore diretta da don Salvatore Monte, dove si sono svolte le operazioni di identificazione. (AGI) “Some days ago (3-4), I tried to travel on a Zodiac from Corfu to Lecce (near Brindisi). I was arrested in the port of Lecce. The Italian authorities deported me back to Patras on a passenger ship. In Italy I was not asked anything at all. I was not fingerprinted. There was no interpreter. I was not given the chance to ask for asylum. Upon arrival in Patras, I was arrested and then transferred to Athens before being released. I didn’t think it would be like this when I reach Italy. In the end I understood... All the roads lead to Rome, only this one doesn’t!” Rc2/Ros http://www.corriere.it/cronache/12_aprile_26/ricchio-sbarco-migranti-locride_1fe73ce0-8fb9-11e1-b563-5183986f349a.shtml http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2012/04/26/news/scafisti_gettano_in_mare_40_immigrati_un_morto_e_un_ferito_grave_nella_locride-33968734/ 67 Interview held on May 10, 2012 on telephone 68 Interview held on May 13, 2012 in Patras 27