Turin's CIE - International University College of Turin

There were mixed perspectives on how much a detainee’s own behaviour influences the way in
which they are treated:
“I’m a good guy, I’m quiet, I’ve never caused trouble, but all of them, the military staff, the
Red Cross, they have an unfair agreement among them. Because although I’m a good guy,
they treat me badly and although I’ve never caused them problems, after seven months I
am still detained. They treat me as badly as they treat anybody else, even though I’ve
always behaved well” (Interview 19);
“Here if you address them in an incorrect way, they do not respond to you either. If in
contrast you behave well, they treat you well” (Interview 27).
A lawyer highlighted the issues arising from conflicts of interest at the CIE by noting that the
non-military CIE staff are directly or indirectly paid for by the Red Cross, which is dependent on
government administered funds:
“For example, translators seem to be good people who are trying to understand if there are
problems or not but the problem is that they are paid by the Red Cross and the director of
this camp is from the Red Cross. In any case, even if they are good people, they are paid by
the Red Cross, they are not following the interest of the person, but the interest of the
camp. For example, when detainees are speaking with translators about conditions for
political asylum they will remind them that if they ask for political asylum they won’t ever
go back to their country” (Interview 7).
Another lawyer working with CIE detainees highlighted in detail the problems with the CIE
management structure:
“[The correct word] to clearly pinpoint the relationship between the Red Cross
management entity and the organism that controls the centre (Carabinieri, Guardia di
Finanza, Police etc.) would be: “complicity”. I fear that this may result in a loss of
independence by the managing entities, both in terms of controlling administrative
activities as well as [relationships with] migrants. There is also proximity between the
police personnel of the Immigration Office who participate in the hearings and the Giudice
di Pace’s staff [clerks] or the Giudici di Pace themselves. Clearly, they have a rapport that
comes from everyday life but which also limits the independence of the judiciary. […] And,
the Red Cross does not remain in a neutral position with respect to the centre, not merely
in terms of hospitality [for detainees] but also in co-operation of control. [The Red Cross]
tries to persuade migrants not to oppose etc. They do the job of persuasion. And when
migrants express their needs, they do not know who to turn to” (Interview 5).
Interviewees also highlighted that the CIE staff focus on avoiding conflict and this can result in a
failure to address problems 86 and a lack of concern for the detainees’ well-being 87 . Yet,
85 The Guardia di Finanza is one of the five Italian police branches. It is under the authority of the Ministry of
Economics and Finance. Although the Guardia di Finanza is part of the Italian army, it distinguishes itself for
its special competences in the prevention and repression of financial and fiscal crimes.
86 “It is in the interests of the structure to avoid problems and they can transfer people to another section, just to
avoid other conflicts. It is something that they can do and it is in their powers to do it” (Interview 7).
87 “Very bad, not interested in people’s well-being, they [military staff] are violent. […] Well, they force people
to become violent. For example, there are people who have been here for seven or eight months, they are
experiencing a hard situation and they ask CIE staff for something and CIE staff don’t help them, they don’t
give them what they ask for. Detainees ask again and again and they see that nobody cares. This is the moment
they become violent, they raise hell and burn things. […] The authorities don’t do anything. They don’t
intervene. One time there was a man who was older, he had documents [i.e. a passport, not permit to stay], he
was hosted in Italy by a sister who had been living in Italy for many years with valid documents [permit to stay],
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