In an interview, Gianfranco Schiavone, President of the Italian Solidarity Consortium ICS (Consorzio Italiano di Solidarietà – Ufficio Rifugiati Onlus) in Trieste, presents a decentralized model of reception and accommodation of asylum seekers which is considered “good practice” in Italy as well as in Europe. The model is based on the idea that it is necessary to integrate asylum seekers into the local environment from the beginning and provide them with as much autonomy as possible in their everyday life. Experience in Trieste shows that, compared with the centralized model of accommodation (reception centres for asylum seekers), the dispersed forms of accommodation (apartments and other community-based living arrangements) offer a better quality of life for asylum seekers. At the same time, this approach results in less tension within the local community and is better in terms of costs. In addition, Schiavone talks about changes in future European policies. He considers whether Slovenia will continue to implement the current centralized model, and proposes the introduction of diversified forms of accommodation, which could have similar benefits to those seen in the Trieste model.
