Riot police have been deployed in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Rome to prevent residents from attacking refugees at a holding centre, the latest incident of anti-immigrant tensions in Italy.
The working-class neighbourhood of Tor Sapienza has seen several days and nights of violence against refugees by residents who blame foreigners for crimes.
The residents say they are not racist but are fed up with what they say is years of neglect by government authorities who have allowed Gypsies, migrants and asylum seekers to settle in Rome’s peripheries without providing adequate services.
The UN high commissioner for refugees condemned the violence, saying refugees and unaccompanied minors fleeing war and conflict deserved protection, respect and help to integrate, not “unacceptable” acts of violence and intolerance.
The UNHCR condemned “extremists” who it said were capitalising on residents’ fears to fuel conflict.
Officials at the Smile centre said unaccompanied minors living there – most aged 16 and 17 from Egypt and Bangladesh – were being moved to another centre in Rome for their own security after another small clash broke out on Thursday.
“We are scared. We are trying to find a compromise with the residents,” said Francesco Amato, who works at the centre.
Italian commentators say at least some of the perpetrators are believed to be members of far-right groups – there have been chants of “Il Duce” in a reference to Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
Record numbers of migrants have been arriving on Italy’s shores after fleeing conflicts in Syria and Africa. This month Italy partially handed over its sea rescue operation to the European Union after facing pressure domestically to end the costly operation.
