by InTrieste
Police in Trieste on Wednesday removed more than 150 asylum seekers from two abandoned warehouses in the city’s Old Port, ending months in which the buildings had served as makeshift shelters for migrants arriving along the Balkan route.
The operation began around 7 a.m. and involved police officers, Civil Protection teams, cultural mediators, medical staff and firefighters. Warehouses 2 and 2A, where most of the migrants had been living, were cleared and are expected to remain closed.
Authorities said that many of the migrants presented themselves voluntarily for identification, with some helping officers locate others scattered across the port area. Most reported feeling relieved at the prospect of being transferred to formal reception facilities.
According to the police, the group will be relocated to asylum centers in northern and central Italy, largely in Tuscany. Those without documents were taken to police headquarters for fingerprinting and the start of asylum procedures.
The situation in the Old Port had drawn national media attention in recent days, highlighting delays in processing asylum requests. Gianfranco Schiavone, president of the Italian Consortium of Solidarity, estimated that about 180 people had been sleeping in the area and said more regular transfers would prevent such encampments from forming.
Local authorities have not announced whether further clearance operations are planned.
