In the three months following Matteo Salvini’s appointment as Italy’s interior minister, the United Nations described a “dangerous acceleration” in attacks on immigrants: 56 physical assaults, 14 shootings and two murders. Magnum photographer Enri Canaj tells the story of migrants of African descent in southern Italy.
Suman, a 15-year-old immigrant from Gambia, walks his dog, Jonick, on the way back to a CARA refugee camp at Borgo Mezzanone | All photographs by Enri Canaj/Magnum
Migrants work in asparagus fields. Often farm workers report to a “gangmaster,” working long hours for far below the minimum wage. The gangmasters charge them for transport to the fields, as well as the food and water they receive while working.
22-year-old “P” arrived in Italy from Nigeria, and now lives with her boyfriend.
A trio of Nigerian children play in a pool in Castel Volturno. The youngest, Annabell, was born in Italy and is fluent in Italian and English.
Castel Volturno
Men in Caserta wait in line to apply for documents. Even after living in Italy for years, a large number of migrants don’t have residence permits or other legal papers.
Grace, 27, and Roizza, 23, arrived two years ago from Nigeria. They each became mothers for the first time in Italy.
A makeshift Italian market — selling luggage and second-hand clothing — at a migrants’ camp in Rossano, Calabria.
A barbershop in the “runway” ghetto at Borgo Mezzanone.
Dasmouen, above, serves as a butcher in the “runway” ghetto near Borgo Mezzanone.
Eva, 25, moved to Italy in 2016. Originally from Nigeria, she and her daughter — Eva’s first — live in Riace, Calabria.
Suman jogs with his dog, Jonick, on the way back to the refugee camp.