Turin's CIE - International University College of Turin

During B.’s third detention period he applied for international humanitarian protection, but
two days before our interview he was issued a negative response. Based on the notification
of the Commissione Territoriale’s (see glossary) decision that B. read to us, “the judge
evaluating his danger to society ordered in 2009 that the applicant be removed from the
country on the grounds of social danger” due to his criminal record. Moreover, the
Commission had a strong suspicion B. did not have the family ties that he claimed to have
because his paternity was not proven: “His declarations seem to be completely instrumental,
also after considering the dates of birth of the two children to whom he declares to be the
biological father”.
A few days after we interviewed B., his cell-mates reported to us that B. had been put in
isolation, waiting to be moved to the CIE in Gradisca d’Isonzo, which is 515 km away in
North-Eastern Italy. We were unable to ascertain whether there was a reason for this abrupt
transfer. Moreover, B. was one of the few detainees who received regular visits from his
family. Two days later, we discovered that on the day that B. found out he was being
transferred he had urgently tried to contact us. As soon as we discovered this, we
immediately tried to contact him via his mobile telephone but our attempts were useless.
Gradisca’s CIE is the only immigration detention centre in Italy where detainees are not
allowed to use their mobile telephones. We contacted the local Questura and the Immigration
Office inside Gradisca’s CIE to ask whether we could speak with B. However, an official
explained to us that inside Gradisca’s CIE detainees are not only prohibited from using their
mobile phones, but they cannot receive phone calls from the outside at all. They can only
make phone calls from the public telephones located inside the centre and in conformity with
Decreto Ministeriale 15 gennaio 2001 they only receive a five-euro telephone card (Telecom
Easy Africa) every ten days. Given the fact that CIE staff could not put us directly in contact
with B., we asked the official to give him our contact details. Unfortunately, we have not been
able to talk with B. again.
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