ABOUT
- MHub is undertaking field surveys with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers along key migratory routes to build up a body of data over time and to map country and regional level mixed migration trends.
- This snapshot presents early survey findings of the profiles, intentions and experiences of those moving in mixed migration flows who have recently arrived in Italy in the last year.
- Though these findings cannot be considered statistically representative of the migration population, they do provide key insights into the migration process.
KEY FINDINGS
This snapshot forms part of a wider, ongoing data gathering project with respondents who have recently transited through North Africa on their way to Europe. To date, data has been gathered from 593 respondents in Italy with respondents coming from countries such Nigeria (25.6%), Eritrea (12.0%), Gambia (10.1%), Cote d'Ivoire (8.1%), Bangladesh (7.8%), Mali (6.6%), Senegal (6.4%), Ghana (4.9%), Guinea (3.4%), Pakistan (3.2%), Cameroon (2.2%), Togo (1.5%), Ethiopia (1.4%), Sudan (1.4%), and (cumulatively 5.7%) Somalia, Syria, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Libya, Nepal, Congo, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Afghanistan, Guinea Conakry.
Findings in this snapshot are based on interviews with 35 interlocutors in Rome. 12 respondents came from Nigeria, 8 from Eritrea, 4 from Sudan, 4 from Syria, 2 from Egypt, and 1 from each of Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Libya. 3 of the respondents were female and 32 were male.
INTENTIONS
- 6 respondents (17.1%) reported Italy as their initial destination of choice. Of those who did not have Italy as their initial destination, 28.6% had other EU countries as their initial planned destination while 8 (22.9%) had chosen Libya as their first destination and 1 each had selected Sub-Saharan and other North African countries as their planned destination. 9 respondents (25.7%) reported not having any planned destination at the outset of their journey. After arrival in Italy, 19 respondents (54.3%) stated their intention to stay in Italy while 16 expressed their decision to continue their journey onwards. Of those who expressed the intention to leave Italy, all respondents planned to go to other European countries.
- 12 respondents reported war to be the driver of their journey, 6 respondents listed military service being the main driver, 5 respondents reported economic reasons, 3 listed family problems, and 2 reported escaping persecution. 7 respondents declined to answer the question.
JOURNEY
- All respondents reached Italy via the Central Mediterranean route. The majority of respondents (88%) transited through Libya while the rest (12%) reached Italy from Egypt. Respondents departing from both countries reported using the services of a smuggler for the last segment of their journey to Italy.
- 23 respondents (65%) left their countries of origin alone while 12 respondents (34%) reported making the journey with someone else. 27 respondents (79%) reported getting information regarding different aspects of the journey by talking with other migrants, smugglers, humanitarian organizations, friends or family, and others while 16 (47%) reported relying on information they received from others via social media. 4 respondents (12%) reported not seeking any information regarding their respective journeys.
RISK AND ABUSES
- The majority of respondents reported experiencing and/or witnessing various abuses. 18 respondents (53%) reported witnessing deaths. 19 respondents (56%) reported experiencing and/or witnessing other in detention. For those who were detained, 4 respondents reported a detention period of less than 19 days, 6 reported a period between 20 and 150 days, and 7 reported a period between 180 and 480 days. 14 respondents (41%) reported being and/or witnessing others being forced into labour; 24 (71%) were and/or experienced others being subjected to physical abuse; 10 (33%) experienced and/or witnessed document destruction; and 15 (44%) experienced and/or witnessed robberies.
QUOTES FROM RESPONDENTS
I asked my friends who were in Libya about the journey. They told that it was not easy. But I did not trust them at all
-Male respondent from Gambia in Rome on 04/07/2017
This journey is a suicide mission. I thank God that I am still alive
-Male respondent from Nigeria in Rome on May 2017
I would have preferred to die in my country, rather than making that sea journey
-Male respondent from Egypt in Rome on 31/07/2017