Vlora (ship)

Refugees of the Vlora at the port of Bari (Italy) on 8 August 1991

Vlora was a cargo ship built in the early 1960s by Cantieri Navali Riuniti of Ancona (Italy), with the name of Ilice for the Società Ligure di Armamento of Genoa. Sister of ships Ninny Figari, Sunpalermo and Fineo acquired by other companies, the Ilice was later acquired in 1961 by Societè actionnaire sino-albanaise de la navigation maritime "Chalship" of Durrësswinging Albaninan flag and renamed Vlora.

History

On 7 August 1991, after returning from Cuba with a cargo of cane sugar, the Vlora was attacked by a crowd of about 20,000 Albanians while unloading cargo at Durrës. They forced the captain, Halim Milaqi, to sail to Italy, where, on 8 August 1991, they arrived at Bari[1]

The story of the Vlora is remembered as one of many episodes of the immigration wave that took place in Italy from 1990 to 1992 and remains the largest landing of immigrants in Italy in modern times.

Background

The fall of European communism in Albania sparked a frenzy of mass emigration. The ship, filled to capacity (probably more than 20,000 people), requested permission to disembark the port of Brindisi. The viceprefect, Bruno Pezzuto, realizing that it would not leave port, persuaded the captain of the ship, Halim Milaqi to head towards Bari with a few hundred Albanians on board. The journey time between the two ports was about seven hours, more than enough time to organize shelters and law enforcement. However, due to lack of authority and organization, it was only after the ship came into proximity of the port that Italian authorities organized to deal with the migrants. In order to get near the port, the Captain forced an impromptu port blockade and told the port that there were seriously injured passengers on board in an attempt to gain permission to dock. However, due to safety concerns, the ship was told to dock at Pier Carboni, far from the city. During the entrance to the harbor many of the migrants fell from the ship into the sea and swam to the dock trying to escape.[2]

Consequences

The refugees were hosted at the Stadio della Vittoria and at the Port of Bari. Some scattered in the city, finding refuge in the gardens, at the station, at a few families and Churches. On 10 August Bishop Antonio Bello visited the port and the stadium. The situation was so difficult that he wrote an article in the newspaper "Avvenire" about the condition of the people and denouncing the absence of minister of interior and the chief of Protezione civile.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Apulia Film Commission La nave dolce di Daniele Vicari.
  2. ↑ E 20mila disperati finirono prigionieri Lo sbarco della Vlora venti anni fa - Corriere del Mezzogiorno
  3. ↑ Vlora, l'indignazione di don Tonino Bello «Persone vengono trattate come bestie» - Corriere del Mezzogiorno

Bibliography

Movies

External links

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