Life has become a living hell for locals in the small Italian town, as increasing numbers of migrants descend on the area to cross into France.

Ventimiglia in northern Italy, just 7 kilometres from the French border, has become a hotspot of migrants transiting from Italy’s southern coast to Northwestern Europe, causing mounting frustration among residents. Locals are increasingly concerned about their safety as crime rates rocket. The small town made headlines in recent days after a fight between two migrants resulted in the death of a Nigerian national.

The victim and the attacker knew each other. Moments before the murder, the two migrants were reportedly seen at a bar in Piazza Cesare Battisti in the city centre. According to residents, there had been no previous indications of the tragic fight that would ensue.

A #Nigerian man died in a brawl with another migrant in the Italian town of #Ventimiglia near the border with France, where residents are increasingly frustrated by rising crime rates.https://t.co/AL7LsbWBgA

— Isolated Incidents (@diversity999x) October 17, 2023

One eyewitness said that both are Nigerian nationals and have always gotten along well. The other witnesses also said that they had seen them together several times, but had never seen them fight, so investigators are left with finding out what could have started the brawl, in which the attacker stabbed his victim in the throat.

The murder prompted the municipality security committee to hold an emergency meeting, and Mayor Flavio Di Muro – a Lega party official elected in May this year – announced that the police presence in the city will be increased. The mayor also put forward the prospect of creating a reception centre where migrants awaiting deportation will be housed, and where the gates will be closed at 8:30 pm and a curfew imposed on migrants.