here - Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo

Even in numerous recent criminal proceedings, 58 not only before the PublicProsecutor in Turin, reference is made to the advice given by the madam to “her”women: when intercepted by the police they should request political asylum 59talking about the war situation in the country of origin or saying that they camefrom the Ivory Coast (country where in recent times there was an intense civil war).“If they ask for political asylum they will let them in; as with political asylum theycan have work and continue to study” (Transcript of a telephone intercept, criminalproceeding - Turin, 2001).Previously Sierra Leone was the false country of origin most used: “Then in theevening (in a hotel in Lagos) these three persons arrived and gave me a piece ofpaper, inside this paper there was a story about Sierra Leone, they had given methe story to read in a week, because you must read this paper and when you arrivethere you must say that you arrive from that country, you must never say you arefrom Nigeria. All day I continued to study this so when I arrived in Italy or in somecountry first, if the police ask you some story, you can say this, because I declarethat I am from this country, I have to say something. After a week I left (…) at sixo’clock in the morning I arrived in London. They told me after two hours to go tothe toilet, because I don’t have to arrive in London with two documents, you mustcut them, destroy them, I must descend in London without anything because theymade me a certificate from Sierra Leone, all false however, and I should show thecertificate. In the airplane I destroyed everything, and the certificate remained,then nothing, you must stay calm. The other two had also done…(…) When wearrive I had to pretend I did not understand any English, I did this, they asked mefor passport, «there is not passport!» «But how is, how did you leave?» I showedcertificate from Sierra Leone. They said «but excuse me you arrive from Lagos!»«I don’t know how I arrived on this plane, I was in Sierra Leone, there was thewar, then I left with a fiancé of my sister, then he told me wait here and I foundmyself inside the airplane, I don’t know where I am now!» (…) They gave me apaper for refugee for two months, after two months you must return and tell thesame story (...) I after two months was already away ” (Interview Victim No.14).Confirmation of this tendency is given by the associations which collaboratewith the implementation of the National Asylum Programme in the area of Turin:according to some operators different Nigerian citizens do not participate in theactivity of integration proposed to them and often absent themselves withoutjustification from the reception place. All this, from one side, confirms thereadiness of Nigerian criminal groups to adapt and, on the other side, risksimpairing the position of real requesters of asylum if the Central Commission forthe recognition of the status of refugee does not pay enough attention to the singlepersonal situations, but takes decisions in a standardised manner on the basis oforigin.58This refers to criminal proceedings which refer to facts of 2001-2002.59In this way expulsion is avoided for the moment, because the request for asylum gives the right to aninitial stay of 3 months, renewable every 3 months for successive 90 days.