Anna Leso, Councilor for Equal Opportunities, City of Verona on WeRefugee Conference at the University of Verona
On June 20th, 2016, the city of Verona became a focal point for critical dialogue on migration through a conference held to commemorate World Refugee Day. Organized by researcher, Obehi Ewanfoh in collaboration with the University of Verona’s Department of Cultures and Civilizations, the event served as the conclusion to a section of “The Journey”, an extensive research project documenting the lived experiences of Africans in Northern Italy since the mid 1970s.
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By bringing together a diverse assembly of stakeholders, including government officials, academic professors, journalists, and immigrant community leaders, the conference bridged the gap between institutional policy and the human reality of displacement.
The presentation was grounded in Ewanfoh’s immersive fieldwork for the “WeRefugees – Verona 2016” project, which offered a rare, multi-dimensional view of the asylum process.
His insights were drawn from direct interviews with African asylum seekers, legal experts, and frontline operators across the province, as well as his firsthand experience serving as a translator during high-stakes hearings at the Venice Tribunal.
This unique vantage point allowed the presentation to move beyond abstract statistics, instead highlighting the urgent legal and social hurdles faced by those appealing asylum rejections and reaffirming the necessity of a robust, rights-centered reception system in Italy. What follows is the speech by Anna Leso, Councilor for Equal Opportunities, City of Verona.
The Presentation by Councilor Anna Leso, (translated from Italian to English)
I am happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me and for inviting the City of Verona, and for asking for our patronage. This task, this theme of hospitality and reception, is clearly within our mandate. Now more than ever, it has become vital and necessary, and we must defend it with all our strength.
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World Refugee Day has been recognized since 2000. However, since 2001, Italy has already had a system in place to help asylum seekers and refugees. This service is called SPRAR, and it is well known to those working in the field.
It is composed of a network of local authorities that, thanks to the contribution of the non-profit sector, guarantees reception to everyone arriving in our territory who requests it.
In Verona, there is a local reception project called “Verona Solidale,” which has been active since 2004. This project was created by the City of Verona in collaboration with the CIR (Italian Council for Refugees). For the three-year period of 2014–2016, it has provided 43 reception places for adult foreign males and 18 places for unaccompanied foreign minors.
For the latter, we turned to one of our partners, the Istituto Don Calabria, for the space and expertise needed to welcome these minors.
As you know, this reception is not limited to mere room and board; it is a form of guidance toward regaining autonomy for those who, not by choice, but out of necessity, are forced to leave their home countries and come to us for help.
I believe these migrants, forced migrants, offer us an opportunity to reaffirm the centrality of human rights. We must never forget this, especially as administrators. I feel this responsibility deeply: to keep human rights at the center of my thoughts and to defend their primary importance.
I believe this is not a “reception for reception’s sake,” but a genuine opportunity for growth and enrichment. After all, knowledge helps us grow and better understand a community that is becoming increasingly cosmopolitan and evolved, yet also vast and diverse.
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Therefore, I believe welcoming these refugees into our cities is also a way to express solidarity with those forced to flee their homelands.
I am very glad to be here and to have participated, after also stopping by the Comboni Missionaries, to bring the greetings of the City Administration and to strongly reaffirm our presence and our positive, concrete participation in World Refugee Day.
Thank you, thank you truly.
Conclusion: A Shared Path Forward
The dialogue sparked by “The Journey” and the “WeRefugee – Verona 2016” project serves as a powerful reminder that migration is not merely a logistical challenge to be managed, but a human reality that reshapes the fabric of our society.
By bringing together the legal rigor of the Venice Tribunal, the academic depth of the University of Verona, and the lived experiences of African asylum seekers, this conference moved the conversation beyond the abstract.
It transformed “the migrant” from a headline into a neighbor, a student, and a vital contributor to the Italian landscape.
As we look back on the progress made since the mid 1970s, it is clear that the strength of a city like Verona lies not in its walls, but in its capacity for solidarity and its unwavering commitment to the centrality of human rights.
Ultimately, the success of reception systems like SPRAR and local initiatives like Verona Solidale depends on more than just funding; it requires the continuous “accompaniment” described by Councilor Anna Leso.
True integration is a two-way street, an evolution of a community that grows more sophisticated and resilient through the inclusion of diverse voices. As this research project concludes, the work of building an inclusive Northern Italy continues.
It is a journey that demands our collective persistence, ensuring that every individual seeking refuge finds not just a place of safety, but a place where they can truly belong and regain their autonomy.
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