EUROPE - MISSION AND IMMIGRATION - “The Suitcase with the String”: stories of Chinese immigrants to Europe: “To survive, you either have to be strong or commit illegal actions.”

Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Two testimonies from Chinese immigrants - the first from Naples, known for its factories, and the second from London, where the Chinese community is an age-old historical reality of integration – reveal the difficulties of those who leave their homeland in search of a fortune and find themselves amidst situations they did not expect. The Chinese owner of a factory in Terzino: In the past, China was not doing so well economically. That is why I left. For years I had difficulties. But now, my family and I all work, we pay the rent, water...we save up the bare minimum for eating, but nothing more. I want to go back to China: now it has progressed! But, I do not have money to go back home. There is very little work and we do not have much savings, but what other possibility do I have?” The Chinese man living in London says: “I came here in the late 1960s. Everything was hard, almost all the Chinese have had the same experience as I have. As I was the last one to get here, the others took advantage of me. This happens everywhere. There were many illegal Chinese immigrants. They did not know anyone. For them, it was even harder to find work. Now, there are more and more illegal immigrants. The environment is increasingly more delicate, you could say. There are also other refugees, so the situation is even harder. To survive, you either have to be strong or commit illegal actions.” (Luca De Mata) (Anticipation for the television program “The Suitcase Tied with a String”: 4 episodes of a study on world immigration to be aired on the RAI beginning June 29) (Agenzia Fides 15/6/2009)