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Fines for sleeping: criminalizing survival at the Ventimiglia border
The respondent is a group of people on the move staying in the border area of Ventimiglia, Italy, near the French border. In January 2026, at least four asylum seekers were issued administrative fines and orders of removal by the Local Police of Sanremo for sleeping in public spaces. These measures were applied in a context where no permanent reception facilities are currently operating in Ventimiglia, following the closure of previous accommodation structures, leaving people in transit with no access to housing and forcing them to sleep outdoors for extended periods.
Area in Ventimiglia where the person was staying while being informally supported by civil society actors.
In late January 2026, the individuals encountered officers of the Local Police of Sanremo during the early morning hours while resting inside the Sanremo train station, a sheltered indoor space. The police carried out identity checks and issued administrative violation reports under Article 9 of Decree Law 14/2017 and the local Urban Police Regulation, citing “bivouacking” and improper use of public space. The measures included monetary fines ranging from 100 to 300 euros and an official order of removal from the area, with a warning that non-compliance could result in further sanctions of up to 900 euros. Although no physical force was reported, the intervention constituted a form of institutional violence, as it penalized individuals for resting in a protected space in a context where no alternative accommodation was available.
Location of administrative fines and removal orders issued against people on the move.
Following the issuance of the fines and orders of removal, the individuals were not provided with any alternative housing or support and were not taken to any reception or detention facility. They were required to leave the station on foot and continue sleeping outdoors. This situation occurred in a context where they had already been living in tents, as the temporary accommodation previously provided by Caritas had ended approximately two weeks earlier, leaving them without any form of shelter. Due to slow administrative procedures and the absence of functioning reception structures in Ventimiglia, sleeping outdoors had already become a long-term condition rather than a short-term emergency. One of the individuals stated: “I have slept outside for so long that for us it has become normal.” This statement reflects a system of precarious reception and prolonged waiting, where instability and lack of protection are structural rather than exceptional.
