History
The starting point can be traced back to the Let’s Stop One Rifle at a Time campaign that we launched in Parma in 1993 to welcome and support deserters from war in the former Yugoslavia. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it became evident that wars were not decreasing, on the contrary they seemed to be escalating and drawing closer. These were the years of the shocking explosion of the war in the former Yugoslavia.
Many groups in Italy, particularly those associated with ICS (Italian Solidarity Consortium), took a strong stance against the war. They stood in solidarity with the civilian population and experimented with a form of “bottom-up diplomacy”. While all European states condemned the conflict, but did nothing to resolve it diplomatically. Although Italy has never given itself a law on asylum, it had approved an unusual and highly progressive measure: law 390/92. Article 2 of this law established that deserters and conscientious objectors from the former Yugoslavia had the right to protection in Italy.
THE ORIGINS
In 1994, through “Le Monde Diplomatique”, we learned about another association, the European Civic Forum, active in France, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, that was conducting the same campaign across Europe. From the connection that was made with the European Civic Forum, the Parma campaign gained recognition in Brussels in November 1994, and in 1995 we published the book Deserters from the War in the former Yugoslavia (ed. Alfazeta), which documented the experience of many people, not considered by the media, who in that country were committed to coexistence. The Municipality of Parma provided us with an apartment for hosting the deserters, and we financed the reception efforts ourselves.We hosted objectors (deserters) from every region of the former Yugoslavia, from all ethnic groups and religions. The peaceful coexistence between them was a demonstration of concept for our ideals.
Despite the existence of an appropriate law, Italy had not implemented structures to facilitate reception. Actually, many young deserters were rejected at the border and, despite the law, were expelled from Italy. Dzevad’s case marked a turning point for us: a Bosnian boy, who fled from enlistment, arrived in Udine, and from there was expelled. We welcomed him and made the appeal for him between Parma, Udine, and Turin. The lawyer handling his case was the president of ASGI, which is the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration. We won the appeal.
From then on, we continued to welcome
After the former Yugoslavs, we turned the attention to aiding the Kurds. A clear pattern began to emerge: in Italy, the absence of a comprehensive asylum law explained the lack of state reception facilities, leaving asylum seekers to fend for themselves. Volunteer efforts, while invaluable, were insufficient. It became necessary to pressure the state to fulfill its duty of hospitality. Associations could succeed in involving the most attainable institutions, such as municipalities and provinces. Moreover, it became necessary to provide legal protection for the rights for foreigners. Italian law faculties did not include courses on immigration law, and there were very few expert lawyers in the country.
We addressed these issues by working with other associations, both foreign and italian, as well as trade unions. In 1999, with the support of Forum Solidarity (Parma Volunteer Service Center), we launched the Immigration Asylum and Citizenship project which had among its actions: training and an in-depth course aimed at legal practitioners on the legal status and rights of foreigners in Italy. The course was led by ASGI and held at the University of Parma. This was only the first of many such courses that we organized in subsequent years.
OUR FORMATION
CIAC, the Center for Immigration Asylum and Collaboration ngo, began in the later half of 2000 as the Immigration, assylum, and citizenship program came to an end but was formally established in January of 2001. As our premise states, CIAC is:
-a legal archive, therefor, a center for open study;
-a hub of expertise and knowledge to provide support to immigrants and foster solidarity;
-an access point to the law for foreigners. A space of connection where foreigners and legal experts collaborate, enabling immigrants to use the law to protect their rights;
-a place for self-help;
-a meeting place for foreigners: uniting communities and celebrating diverse cultures. Through our multimedia center, foreigners can read books or watch films in their native languages.
CIAC maintains close relations with Ics and Asgi.
In 2001, the Turkish-Neapolitan law allowed municipalities to obtain funding for projects aimed at integrating foreigners. CIAC responded with two projects:
-Immigration asylum and citizenship, in collaboration with seven municipalities in the Parma region. This project sought to distribute legal knowledge and resources to municipal employees and establish information desks for foreigners in each district, managed with CIAC’s legal support for complex cases
-Hospitality for asylum applicants and refugees in need, with the Municipality of Sala Baganza.
OUR HELP DESKS
The long sought involvement of municipalities became a reality thanks to their willingness to collaborate, programmatic alignment, and support from the provincial administration. By 2003, CIAC had expanded its legal support services for foreigners to 23 districts in Parma, establishing a network of help desks. This project has produced many services and a huge system of open tutoring.
Protecting the rights of foreigners means also protecting the rights of asylum seekers. Given Italy's shortcomings, protecting asylum seekers' rights means taking responsibility to promote acceptance and meet their basic needs. For years, CIAC, in collaboration with the Province of Parma, the Municipalities, and Amnesty International, conducted an intense campaign to raise awareness about asylum seekers' rights: this effort produced tangible results, starting with the Sala Baganza project, which gained recognition as part of theEuropean Network for the support and rehabilitation of victims of torture. It also led to increased participation from local communities committed to the integration of asylum seekers and victims of torture.
ACCEPTANCE THROUGH SPRAR
In 2003, CIAC, with 26 municipalities of Parma, led by Fidenza, presented the Land of asylum project to Anci and earned first place nationally.
In 2005 CIAC, the Province of Parma, Districts of Langhirano, Tizzano Sala Baganza, and Fidenza worked alongside the Emilia Romagna region for the implementation of a regional-level intervention on asylum: this gave birth to a project significantly known as Emilia Romagna, land of asylum.
Although significant progress has been made, including extensive local involvement, much remains to be done to ensure the full application of asylum seekers’ rights in Italy, guaranteeing dignity and opportunity for all.
Over the years, CIAC has maintained its commitment to the SPRAR system and to fostering inclusive, widespread support for asylum seekers. The "Land of Asylum" project has been consistently renewed, year after year, in line with successive calls for proposals. Since 2014, CIAC has ranked first in the national SPRAR classification and has spearheaded the "A City for Asylum Seekers" project in Parma. This initiative has aimed to increase both the number of support locations and the project’s territorial reach across much of the province. Following its expansion in 2017, the project now also involves organizations coordinating the "Development of Acceptance" program.
OUR OTHER PROJECTS
Since 2009, CIAC has worked hard to build a national network, collaborating with other groups through initial financial projects funded by the European Fund for Refugees (EFR) and the European Fund for Integration (EFI). These early efforts led to pioneering research and practical initiatives, such as the “Distanced from Violence” project, which brought attention to victims of torture and promoted integrated care management. This project inspired the creation of one of Italy’s first Social-Health Interdisciplinary Coordination teams, established between CIAC and AUSL. This collaboration, which continues to expand annually, addresses complex cases involving disabilities, mental illnesses, victims of torture and violence, victims of human trafficking, and undocumented minors. By integrating the SPRAR project with local services, CIAC ensures coordinated, effective support.
Over the years, CIAC has developed numerous projects supported by European and national funds, improving existing services and introducing innovative ones. Highlights include:“For an acceptance and relationship of cross-cultural help: guidelines for an integrated acceptance” (2010), “Salutare/Greeting” (2011), “RE-START UP” to support entrepreneurship among vulnerable refugees (2012), “Interconnections. The paths to prevention, mediation, and promotion of communities in Parma" (2014), “Binding: the threads of autonomy” (2014), “Ancora” (2017), “Ancora 2.0” (2020), “Becomer-the well-being of a community” (2020), “PUZZLE- Networking actions for a welcoming community” (2020), just to name some of the main programs financed by European funds. A collaboration that took place with the Asylum migration and integration fund (FAMI) with relevant public institutions such as the bureaucratic and police headquarters of Parma is also noteworthy.
Other sources of funding (for example achieved through participation in groups such as the Cariparma Foundation, 8 per mile or other public and private loans) have made consolidating the system of protection, acceptance, and integration in the Parma region and province possible: for a prime example, see “Networks: protection of refugees not included in SPRAR” (2012), “New world” (2017), “Interface” (2018), “The keys in our hand” (2019), “COMMUNITY WELLFARE Welcoming territories for inclusive development” (2019), “SAFE! Speak-up Against Female Exclusion - New tools for the prevention of gender-based discrimination and violence and undertaking an integrated culture” 2019, “A welcoming community: participation, creativity, sustainability for the integration of migrants at risk of exclusion” (2020).
THE NETWORKS
This intense activity did not occur in isolation, but rather represented an opportunity for continuous discussion and elaboration at both the national and local levels. It is no coincidence that CIAC is one of the founders and main leaders of "EuropAsilo", a national network for the right of asylum that since 2013 has united some of the most active subjects in widespread hospitality, to promote its approach through multilevel training and advocacy actions. At the local level, the same intent to strengthen dialogue and to build a cohesive ethical network, with a strong ethical-value sharing and with the rejection of a speculative and purely managerial perspective of hospitality, is found in the Coordination of "The civilization of hospitality" (of which CIAC is the coordinating body) which includes the Community of Betania, Caritas, Di mano in mano, Il Pozzo di Sicar, il Centro Aiuto Alla Vita, and l’istituto del Buon Pastore, and that since 2017 participates with CIAC in services offered by the SPRAR project “A city for asylum”.
In addition to extensive networking with other third-sector organizations, CIAC has consistently focused on raising awareness and engaging the broader public, in line with its founding principles. This focus became even more crucial as racism and discriminatory — or at least distrustful — behaviors grew increasingly evident in Parma and its province. These attitudes were fueled by a climate of hatred and the media’s sensationalized coverage of migration in recent years. Despite the widespread reception system and the presence of nearly thirty "Immigration, Asylum, and Citizenship" counters across the territory, these efforts alone were insufficient to establish a stable and recognizable support network. More importantly, they failed to systematically foster the intercultural interaction between refugees and local communities that is essential for migrant integration. Such contact is equally vital for alleviating the fears and resistance of long-established residents "old" citizens.
Starting in 2015, a significant effort was made to develop forms of hospitality and relationships focused on creating stable and meaningful connections between natives and migrants. This approach aimed to expand and diversify social networks while providing opportunities to "open their eyes to the world." In 2015, the national SPRAR initiative "Refugees in the Family" was launched, allowing Italian families to host refugees for a defined period. This initiative supported refugees in their integration process while offering them the warmth of a home and meaningful personal relationships. In 2016, an intercultural co-housing program was introduced, bringing together young Italians and young refugees to live together. By 2017, this concept evolved beyond mere coexistence, introducing the role of the territorial tutor for integration - an individual or association dedicated to supporting a refugee through their integration journey, serving as a warm and reliable point of reference.
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE DECREES
This network of relationships has proven effective not only for the refugees directly impacted but also for CIAC itself. The organization has drawn strength and motivation from a mobilized and engaged network of contacts, who have often extended their activism beyond the refugees they initially supported to advocate for asylum rights, solidarity, and hospitality on a broader scale. This solidarity became even more critical in late 2018, when sweeping legal changes at the national level significantly weakened asylum rights and the reception system. The Immigration and Security Decrees, followed by Law 132, abolished humanitarian protection, drastically increasing the number of asylum seekers forced into irregular status and excluded from any form of reception or protection. Additionally, the new law dismantled the SPRAR system - renamed SIPROIMI -, excluding asylum seekers and limiting its scope to those with formal international protection status.
CIAC, supported by its networks and many engaged citizens, quickly took a leading role in advocating for radical reforms. It called for the restoration of humanitarian protection and the creation of a unified reception system. One example of this activism was the national action day, "L’asilo rEsiste", which on December 15, 2018, brought hundreds of operators and activists to Parma. Beyond criticism and protest, CIAC also worked on practical solutions at the local level.
In December 2019, the "Wonderful World" house was inaugurated, a welcome community offering assistance to the excluded individuals. Over 60 volunteers actively participated in fostering daily interactions with migrants and addressing the legal and social exclusion these refugees faced. During the 2020 pandemic, the project adapted to health safety measures without interrupting its reception services or activities. The Wonderful World house continues to grow, now exploring solidarity tourism through the opening of a holiday home and the creation of a House of Peace. This initiative aims to unite various urban and regional organizations around a shared commitment to addressing the root causes of exclusion, discrimination, and hatred - issues that affect not only migrants and refugees but society as a whole. This ongoing work highlights the interconnectedness of global issues like war, violence, and human rights violations with local dynamics of exclusion and discrimination, offering a model for building inclusive and supportive communities.
