Linda puts her own name -not necessarily real, but that is how the Italian authorities identify her- to one of the millions of possible stories about migrants. She, barely four years old, has sailed without her family from Tunisia to Lampedusa, all as a result of a chain of misfortunes that separated them at the time of leaving her. Her parents prioritize hugging her again, even if it is in the place they intended to escape from.
They are originally from Sayada, a coastal city near Monastir, 160 kilometers south of the capital. Linda’s father, a street food vendor, is unable to make a living in a context of deep political crisis and food shortages. Her other daughter, aged seven, has a heart condition and needs ongoing medical care. Among her documentation for her trip was the medical history of the minor, which she hoped that in Europe she could receive adequate treatment.
[Este es el vídeo en el que la BBC basa su acusación de arrastre de muertos del lado español al marroquí]
The day of the trip arrived. They had to swim a few meters to get on board. The father did so carrying Linda and a few meters behind he heard his wife scream, along with the other girl. She was in the water with luggage and was afraid of drowning. The father left Linda in the boat and went back into the water to help his wife and his daughter. At that moment, recounts Guardian“the driver of the boat saw the big headlights of a truck and thought it was the police, so he started the engine and drove away.”
Repatriation
Linda, accompanied by 70 other people, undertook the dangerous journey without her parents, who were arrested and imprisoned accused of abandoning the minor, and released once it was confirmed that the little girl reached safe and sound land after 26 hours at sea. It was October 17. At this moment, the Government of Tunisia is trying to repatriate, but that of Italy poses all sorts of problems.
[España sólo logra retornar al 5% de los inmigrantes irregulares por sus tensas relaciones en África]
Linda “constantly asks about her parents,” who are prohibited from traveling. She is in a children’s center in Palermo. She is fine but still under the influence of a shock emotional, they explain to Guardian people familiar with the case. “She plays with other children and a psychosocial support team helps her release her fears and pressure,” according to a Save the Children spokeswoman.
A Sicilian judge has blocked the repatriation, but has not made the final decision, which will be based on all the evidence he gathers about that moment in which Linda and her family were separated. If she determines that it was a misfortune and not a willful act, Linda will be able to return.
