Rome – Police raid on the tent city in Viale Pretoriano, near Termini station in Rome: the area of the Aurelian Walls, where there were numerous illegal settlements, was in fact cleared and reclaimed, the subject of reports and complaints in recent weeks.
On site operators of the State Police and the Carabinieri, together with agents of the local police of Rome. Over thirty tents have been identified, used as makeshift shelter by about forty homeless people: among these, for eight foreigners, investigations are underway to assess their regularity on the national territory.
The intervention was decided by the provincial committee for public order and safety, chaired by the prefect of Rome, Bruno Frattasi, and then coordinated by a special technical table at the police headquarters.
During the operations, the presence on site of personnel from the social operations room of the Municipality and the social services of the municipality was ensured, in order to be able to provide all necessary support to people in fragile conditions and to offer safer and more dignified housing arrangements. The meetings, during which the interventions carried out today were planned, also saw the participation of the Capitoline superintendency due to the need to identify solutions to avoid the repetition of the undue use of those places.
The initiative is part of a precise line of action desired by the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, to combat illegality and degradation throughout the national territory, starting right from the main railway stations and from the areas adjacent to them, with interventions that will then gradually be extended to other areas.
“Our strategy – declared the minister in recent interviews – is that of a progressive movement of the police forces to places where people are most frequented. We have already started with high-impact operations in the main stations of Rome, Milan and Naples and now we will also extend them to other areas of the city such as those of the bad nightlife and drug dealing squares. We have also carried out similar operations in Florence, Bologna and Turin where the first results are already visible”.
Of the approximately 40 people present this morning in the tent city, almost all foreigners and without documents, most were accompanied to the offices responsible for identification. Those who were entitled to it and accepted it were taken in charge by the operators of the Social Operative Room and initiated into the assistance circuit foreseen for the homeless.
“I thank the police forces, the Rome Capital Police, the operators of the social operations room and the staff of the Municipality for the delicate operation this morning. After constant monitoring for three months, we ascertained situations of fragility and worked to address a dramatic situation of degradation and at the same time ensure solidarity and acceptance for homeless people. It is essential that the government supports with additional resources the interventions necessary to concretely guarantee the right to housing and hospitality”, declared the Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri.
In a letter sent to the Prefecture on 7 February, councilors Funari and Lucarelli had already given their willingness to plan the necessary interventions for cleaning the area and the consequent possible removal of those who were residing there, after having started talks in the previous weeks to activate the necessary support for the people camped in the area.
Monica Lucarelli: “We have been working in excellent agreement with the Prefecture and all the police forces for several months now with the aim of overcoming situations of degradation and difficulties that also impact on daily life and the safety of citizens and tourists . However, we are aware of the fact that important actions such as this morning’s must fall within a broader framework of social and work support and integration policies for fragile people and for foreign subjects in transit in our country or awaiting recognition of refugee status”.
Barbara Funari: “The Social Operations Room, with the street unit, has been monitoring the homeless present for some time and since this morning at 9 the operators have been on site to hold interviews and to offer hospitality. People without documents, before being hosted in the structures, must necessarily go to the Police Headquarters in via Patini for identification.”
Bonaccorsi: “As regards the fate of the area affected by the eviction, I am in contact with the State Superintendence, responsible for the area in question, with the aim of initiating all the necessary actions to make it safe. To prevent the area from returning to settlement within a few months, a structural intervention must be planned that secures both the greenery and the surrounding archaeological area.”
“We applaud the police and carabinieri operation, at the instigation of the prefecture and Minister Piantedosi, which led to the eviction of an illegal settlement in Viale Pretoriano, Rome, not far from Termini station. An operation that aims to remedy the climate of laxity in the municipality of Rome, unable to manage this like other social emergencies, leaving the city to chaos and neglect – say Simona Baldassarre, MEP of the League, Luigi Servilio, group leader Lega al I town hall and Luca Aubert, Coordinator Lega I town hall -. Restoring decorum and safety means making cities safer and more welcoming, especially for the weakest and most defenseless citizens, at the mercy of degradation and crime produced by these dangerous settlements, unacceptable even for the people who formed them, forced to live in dignified. Safety and decorum must be guaranteed, without ifs and buts. Furthermore, a permanent presence of the police is needed to prevent the recurrence of such situations”.
“A human and civil contribution that given by Roma Capitale to the eviction procedures initiated by the Prefecture of Rome and coordinated with the Police Headquarters: the councilor for social policies of Roma Capitale and the Mayor Gualtieri have done well in making the organizational machine available welcome of the Capital for those who live without a home. It is sad to read the rantings of the League which, unfortunately, does not understand how much good interinstitutional collaboration does and how much additional national resources are lacking, also and above all in Rome, to give refreshment and hospitality to those who have the right to housing and hospitality”. reply from Erica Battaglia, dem city councilor of Rome Capital.
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