Genoa: City of migrants | VPRO Documentary

Genoa is a haven city in Italy. In Genoa, tens of thousands of African migrants arrive, and the city and its inhabitants are overwhelmed by this flood of men. Administratively, the migrants are stuck in Genoa, and the locals have to live with the migrants, the criminality, and the shift in Genoa's culture, highly visible in the emblematic street Via di Pré.

In this VPRO travel series Via Genoa, writer Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer speaks with the colorful inhabitants of his hometown, the Italian port city of Genoa. Pfeijffer shows how Italy changes politically, socially and economically with all the newcomers.

In this first episode Ilja identifies the problems: in the neighborhood, many unemployed African migrants live, and many migrants do not have a residence permit. To have a residence permit they need an employment contract. But there are no jobs for migrants. For this reason, via di Prè became a criminal street, where you avoid eye contact and keep on walking. Even locals do not want to go on Via di Pré anymore.

The new police boss, Sergia Bracco, increased the number of patrols in central Genoa. The reason for this was the neighborhood residents and shopkeepers complaining, the terrorist attacks in other European cities and the various fake bombings in the city. Regular military and police patrols roam the city.

Every day, new Africans arrive in Genoa looking for work that doesn't seem to be real. At present, these are mostly young men from West Africa. In Lampedusa and the reception centers in Sicily they are divided among the Italian municipalities. Genoa currently has over 3000 registered asylum seekers. In the last month of December, tens of thousands came up daily. During the winter season, there are fewer arrivals on the southern Italian coasts, but the prospects are that 2017 will be another record year.

This shows how Italy has changed on the wings of migration over recent decades. Italians traded their salami, cheeses and vegetables and fruits for Senegalese seafood restaurants, Nigerian barbers and Moroccan kebab stores. During the nightly hours, the Italians in this part of the city can be counted on one hand.

Director: Hans Pool
Presented by: Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer
January 2017

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[pauld]

I'm not of Italian descent, but for those who are. This must be like watching a loved one slowly die.

[TheThousandhours]

19:00 – it's nothing wrong with linking your residential permit to your working status. It's absolutely normal to have legal work, pay taxes, and be prepared to be kicked off if you lose your job. I don't see any differences between these people and, for instance, Ukrainians who'd like to start a new life in Italy. But the thing is, that 90% of Ukrainians starting from the job search and a long process of naturalization, but not from just arriving from their home country with a hope that everything will be fine afterward.

[anastasia]

if you have no money in Europe, and you have no money in Senegal, isn't it better to return to senegal and be present with your family and work to find a way to make money in senegal ?

[mixi]

This is what happen when it is more important to you to be seen as woke than it is to secure your descendants future and way of living.
Well done current generation. Your children will look back at your achievement

[Marenqo]

Great documentary, ethnographically rich. A Moroccan speaking French talking to a Dutch journo talking in italian

[alexfiorentini]

ONG, pobre Italia la están destrozando .

[dankonatostanco]

A dutch dude in love with Genoa, understanding this complex reality better than most locals (me included). Awesome document, excellent job.

[agithehun]

Thank you for this documentary. Thoughtful. There are always two types of people: some who care and some who don’t. I’m visiting Genova right now and it gives me some insight and perspective to this chaotic but beautiful city.

[sophieb]

This 'documentary' is very limited in its perspectives and angles. Unfortunately the presenter and the planning behind it are rudimentary and give such a narrow, potentially biased viewpoint. Hopefully he can do better in future or simply give up.

[carolinestechschulte]

Lovely video. I am moving to the area and hope to find you in a caffe one day. I live in a wealthy French town and the people are dreadful… can’t wait to live in Italy again !

[carolbarfield]

I would have love to hear it in English

[WolfgangVonKempelen]

Watch out ! ! Unwanted comments get removed here like mine just did ! !

[FliVids]

I saw your implication. From my view you implied nothing good on the scale of what the Church has doen for the poor in the scenes at 3:00. The absolutely huge scale of what the church has done. Your documentary would be better if you were in amongst that symbolic crowd. PRESENTING instead you brooded and looking like a gargoyle looking down upon the beautifully religious event. Nice start, won't finish this. You filmed thisw scene in utter seriousness. With not an ounce of positivity exhuding form your position. Goodbye, sir

[DommaPasce]

Obviously Genoa is not just this but much more ... a concrete example? Zena has still been twinned with Odessa since 1979 thanks to business relationships from immemorial time. In the historic center of Genoa the "Polizia Municipale, Polizia, Carabinieri" etc... etc... usually run with their heads down, ignoring the illegal market. It is not that you have tried to show us as they ask for documents, permits or anything else ... they go without doing anything but just showing their presence. But as soon as you get on a personal vehicle they can't wait to destroy you just because it makes money, but you can go with bicycles and "monopattini" without respecting the red light stop and you can also get dirty all the walls of the town with the colors of the two cursed football teams of the city without anyone taking care of canceling... maybe someone wants to imitate the Brazilian favelas to look "cooler"

[Itsajourneything]

im wondering, if you have the money to pay 2/3k euro for the trip to europe by 'boat' is there no way to take a flight or buy a cheap car instead?

[mariosanchez]

15:30 I am an Italian my family came to italy from the Dominican Republic they faced a lot of discrimination and racism but never did illegal things, what he said is not true

[bramsanjanssan]

Goed Spul/
Good Stuff. I feel more human after watching this.

[JRsmith.]

18:15 Ha abbandonato la sua famiglia? Scommetto che questo è comune con loro

[carlt]

I went there a few years ago from the uk and black gangs on the front everywhere shame as its a nice city

[ireneberehowyj]

Beautiful video and so true! I live in Genoa since more than 50 years as a privileged migrant... I should say that it is not really true that a few years ago the area of via Pré was mostly populated by South Americans, all they did is just move away a little bit further on in the city boundaries. Why do we have this situation here? First: because of the restricted law Bossi-Fini (both former politicians involved in unlawful financial matters); Second: because the laws DO NOT ALLOW the migrants to settle normally here: to get a job you need a residential document, to get the residential document you must have the authorisation to live in this country (permesso di soggiorno) and to get a permesso di soggiorno you must have a job! Where do you find a job easily nowadays?
Everybody is necessary on this Earth; we have called for migrants from Rumania with special buses to pick up the tomatoes in the fields during our lockdown because only a few of us want to do the job....THINK! the story is long to be