Immigration crisis in Italy is at its peak now, churches
are now opening their doors to newly arrived migrants, many of them
fleeing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.
Homeless African migrants are now sleeping on cots positioned on the altars of the churches in Sicily, as the local parishes attempt to
mitigate the crisis.
Churches in Palermo have emptied out pews to make space for clean cots and community members are pitching in to cook meals and donate goods.
Volunteers from the Catholic charity Caritas greet migrant boats at the port with food, clothes, doctors and even psychologists.
"We've substituted the altar with beds," said the Reverend Rosario Francolino, who has been coordinating the reception of 700 Africans at a Palermo church since Sunday.
Many staying at the churches have survived horrors during their journey to Sicily.
Kollycoulibal, a 20-year-old from Mali, said his boat of 49 men filled with water on Sunday morning and he had to swim for two hours until the Italian coast guard arrived.
Ten men drowned, including his 16-year-old cousin.
"He didn't know how to swim and I tried to save him," said Kollycoulibal, who didn't give his last name.
Across Italy, government welcome-centres are overflowing with migrants amid the record number of refugees being picked up at sea thanks to Italy's beefed-up migration operation "Mare Nostrum."
The scheme was launched after hundreds of refugees drowned off Sicily in October.
The crisis has prompted critics of the Italian government to demand the operation's termination, arguing that the beefed-up patrols are just
encouraging more people to risk their lives.
Homeless African migrants are now sleeping on cots positioned on the altars of the churches in Sicily, as the local parishes attempt to
mitigate the crisis.
Churches in Palermo have emptied out pews to make space for clean cots and community members are pitching in to cook meals and donate goods.
Volunteers from the Catholic charity Caritas greet migrant boats at the port with food, clothes, doctors and even psychologists.
"We've substituted the altar with beds," said the Reverend Rosario Francolino, who has been coordinating the reception of 700 Africans at a Palermo church since Sunday.
Many staying at the churches have survived horrors during their journey to Sicily.
Kollycoulibal, a 20-year-old from Mali, said his boat of 49 men filled with water on Sunday morning and he had to swim for two hours until the Italian coast guard arrived.
Ten men drowned, including his 16-year-old cousin.
"He didn't know how to swim and I tried to save him," said Kollycoulibal, who didn't give his last name.
Across Italy, government welcome-centres are overflowing with migrants amid the record number of refugees being picked up at sea thanks to Italy's beefed-up migration operation "Mare Nostrum."
The scheme was launched after hundreds of refugees drowned off Sicily in October.
The crisis has prompted critics of the Italian government to demand the operation's termination, arguing that the beefed-up patrols are just
encouraging more people to risk their lives.
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