A 26-year-old Gambian man died overnight when a fire broke out in a shack in a shanty-town migrant 'ghetto' at Borgo Mezzanone, near the southern city of Foggia. The man's charred body was found after firefighters put out the blaze.
Until recently he was a resident at the CARA reception centre for asylum seekers at Borgo Mezzanone, but his request for asylum was rejected a few months ago.
There have been several similar cases of migrants dying in fires at such camps.
Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Friday that the latest death vindicated his policy of clearing illegal camps and phasing out the CARA centres.
"This tragedy confirms that the big settlements of foreigners, both legal and illegal ones, which we inherited from the (previous governments of the) left, are a problem," he said.
"It is our duty to restore security, law and order by continuing with the checks, the clearances and the gradual emptying of them".
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