Once arrived in Lampedusa, the boat people only receive first aid. After a few days they are transferred to one of 13 identification centres throughout Italy.
2) In the identification centres the asylum procedure starts.
3) While waiting for the asylum decision, they must leave the camp. However, only a minority receive accommodation and support.
4) During the several months waiting period, most migrants are left to their own devices.
5) To survive, many have to seek work as day laborers in agriculture.
6) They are informed about the outcome of their asylum application.
a) If the application is rejected, the migrants receive an expulsion order in which they are asked to leave Italy, but only half of the rejected migrants are deported. However, with neither documents nor money, they are unable to leave, and remain illegally in the country.
b) The asylum applications are evaluated positively. However, there are not enough places available to offer accommodation and financial support to people with either refugee status or temporary residence status for humanitarian reasons.
7) Regardless of what their status is, most migrants have to take any job they can find. Many African men work as migrant workers on fruit and vegetable plantations. Women without a family usually only find jobs in the lowest service sector or as sex workers.
