As borders within Europe become increasingly difficult to cross due to pandemic restrictions, some migrants and asylum seekers who entered Europe through the Balkans are trying to cross it. reach France by walking across the Alps from Italy.
The Italian-French Alps may represent the last difficult crossroads in a “hard journey.” But walking across them, especially in winter is difficult even for those who have overcome other dangerous obstacles on the way.
Many try to do so at night so that the French National Gendarmerie does not ride on snow bikes.
If seen near the border they will be returned to Italy after a few hours of detention.
Amir Hotak is a 23-year asylum seeker who has fled Afghanistan. He told reporters about the countries he had gone through to get this far.
“Afghanistan up to Iran, Iran up to Turkey, Turkey up to Greece, Greece up to Albania, Albania up to Montenegro, Montenegro to Bosnia, Bosnia to Croatia, Croatia to Slovenia. Then Italy,” he explained.
The Italian Red Cross has been patrolling the Italian side of the Alps in the city of Claviere since 2017 when the route was diverted largely by African migrants arriving by sea. But for the past few months, they say they are seeing people from different countries.
“Starting a few months ago, in 2020, the type of migrants passing through this area has changed a bit, there are many families, often with children coming down the Balkan route, so it is are the main nationalities of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, “said Michele Belmondo, Italian Red Cross volunteer.
“Accidents such as avalanches often occur. Another major danger is the temperature, the cold. If one is not properly equipped with gloves and thermal clothing, it is possible to spend a night in -15C or – 20C to be lethal “.
In Claviere, an Italian city that surrounds France, about 5,000 migrants have been captured by the Red Cross since 2017.
And there have been 1,500 of those in the past five months, according to Belmondo who roams the mountains to warn migrants of the dangers, help them with blankets, and in some cases free them.