Moroccan Immigrant’s Tragic Death Highlights Plight of Turin’s Homeless

Mostafà Hait Bella’s life took a first turn after the death of his wife and two children in a car accident. This triple loss had greatly affected him. Unable to bear the void left by his small family, he left Morocco for Italy in 1992, hoping to start over. Multilingual, he was easy to approach and had no difficulty integrating into his new life in Turin. He worked in a nursery on the Pecetto hill and was highly regarded for his knowledge and great mastery of the language of flowers. But despite the distance and the years that have passed, Mostafà Hait Bella had never recovered from the loss of his wife and two young children, reports TorinoToday.

Things will become even harder for the Moroccan florist. Between financial difficulties, taxes, and then the loss of his home, he found himself deprived of everything he had. All he had left was his Fiat Uno, a car that served as both a dormitory and a means of transporting all his belongings. But unfortunately, as if fate was tormenting him, a collision with the tram plunged him into an endless tunnel. Without a car and forced to give up his driver’s license to pay his debts, he took refuge in alcohol, leading a homeless life.

Many of those who knew him describe a kind, generous man who cared about others. In difficult times, he did not accept alms and thought he could get back on his feet. He could not stand shelters and preferred to sleep on benches, near bars. But this lifestyle he was not used to has seriously affected his health, to the point that he was admitted to the hospital at the end of December. The last meal of his life was a bowl of soup offered, on Sunday, by a friend to whom he confided that he was not feeling well. He also expressed his desire to return home to Morocco. But unfortunately, his body will be found the next day on a bench that had become his bed for some time.

An investigation has been opened by the Turin prosecutor who seems willing to close the case quickly, as nothing suggests a crime. Mostafà Hait Bella may have the chance to return to Morocco, as his friends from the via San Secondo market are ready to pay for the repatriation of the body, so that he can be buried next to his loved ones. The death of the Moroccan florist raises the issue of expulsions, the management of foreigners, and inhospitality, specifies the same source.