Italian town pays for Moroccan man’s return home after he seeks housing and work
Without a home or a job, a Moroccan man of around 60 approached the town council in Pieve di Soligo, in northern Italy. He ultimately agreed to return to Morocco, with the trip paid for by the municipality. He left on September 30.
The man had lived in the area, in the province of Treviso, for about 12 years. He had had a job, a home and a family before losing that stability, the Corriere del Veneto reported on October 2.
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For more than two years, he had been living in precarious conditions. His residence permit had expired and had not been renewed. Mayor Stefano Soldan also cited reports and complaints about petty theft, including food stolen from supermarkets.
It was in this situation that the man in his 60s went to municipal services to ask for housing and a job. Soldan explained how difficult it would be to find either, then offered to cover the cost of a return to Morocco. The man agreed, Sky TG24 reports.
About 250 euros to arrange his departure
The municipality spent around 250 euros on the trip: 170 euros for the plane ticket, about 50 for the train and the rest on other expenses. Before he left, a shopkeeper provided him with clothes, and he was given food. He was then accompanied to Venice airport.
The mayor has given the intervention a political dimension. A provincial coordinator for the UDC, he says he carried out a “remigration” using existing means, without waiting for a new law.
In comments to the AGI news agency, however, he defended a case-by-case approach: listening to the person, assessing their options and intervening before their difficulties worsen. He described the agreement with the Moroccan man as a voluntary return supported by the municipality.
Soldan also recalled arranging the return of a Dane four years earlier after he lost his passport. The municipality helped him obtain documents from his embassy, then buy his ticket.
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The Moroccan man in his 60s left Venice on September 30. According to the mayor, quoted by Tribuna di Treviso, he thanked the municipality for its help.
