Italy’s migrant detention centers in spotlight after death of Guinean and calls to close them down

By PAOLO SANTALUCIA
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Pressure is building on authorities in Italy to close a notorious Rome migrant detention center where a 19-year-old Guinean allegedly hanged himself last month. Rome’s city assembly and a group affiliated with the Radical Party are calling for Rome’s mayor to shut the Ponte Galeria facility. Italy’s 10 migrant repatriation centers have long been criticized by human rights groups. They describe them as black holes of human rights violations where undocumented migrants are essentially detained for months without charges in conditions worse than prisons. The government of Premier Giorgia Meloni is seeking to expand the network of detention centers and accelerate repatriations as part of a broader strategy to manage migration flows and deter traffickers.