African Emigrants Moved Out by Italian Police

New stories now show that local people were clapping and cheering over the weekend when hundreds of Africans were moved out of a small town in Calabria by police. They were moved out following clashes in which emigrant farm workers were shot at, run over and severely beaten.

Almost 300 emigrants were loaded onto buses in the riot-torn town of Rosarno, which is known for its emigration holding centers. During this time, an emigrant was shot from a moving car with a pellet rifle. Overall, more than five emigrants were shot at.

The first shooting, which happened last Thursday, provoked a violent protest march by Africans through Rosarno, which ended up injuring 66 people. A second emigrant was beaten with metal bars later on, despite a heavy police presence in and around Rosarno.

Laura Boldrini, a UN official, said that there is a very serious security problem right now and many emigrants, that are working on local farms, are scared and just want to get out of there. Many of them want to leave despite the fact that they have not been paid for their work. Italy's only black MP, Jean Leonard Touadi, said that her fear is that the government will use this opportunity to expel those who do not have permits to stay in Italy.

Right now, no matter where anyone lives in Europe, emigration is a big deal. People are scared for their jobs, and many people dislike change overall. This is making a lot of people angry that emigrants are in their towns. When the economy is fine, people are happy, but once things become hard, people want to start pointing fingers.