They are aged 14 to 17, and arrive on the coasts of Sardinia from North Africa and Asia after a long journey, some after a few days by boat, others after walking for miles.
According to data from the Ministry of Labor, as of September 30, there were 118 unaccompanied foreign minors in Sardinia , classified as UAMs. These young people arrive on the island seeking a better future, but there are insufficient places to welcome them, and there is often a lack of professional support to help them build a life plan together, thus ensuring a path of inclusion that leads them to school and protects them from petty crime .
For this reason, the Association of Volunteer Guardians of Sardinia for Unaccompanied Foreign Minors has written to all local authorities on the island: Municipalities, the Metropolitan Cities of Cagliari and Sassari, Provinces and Unions of Municipalities, as well as the Regional Ombudsman for Children and Adolescents and ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities).
Organizations are invited to join the SAI, the reception and integration system, by responding to the Ministry of the Interior's announcements . Applications must be submitted by November 10th. There are only two SAI projects dedicated to unaccompanied foreign minors on the island, in Bonorva and Calangianus.
Thus, many children live in emergency facilities, often in isolated locations, where they spend months without regular school attendance, unable to integrate or make friends, and with no prospects for the future. Even for adults, places are limited: there are nine regular Sai projects across the island.
"The SAI is the alternative that works," explains Matteo Massa, president of the association. " They're not large centers, but houses on the streets of cities and towns, where small groups of young people are supported by educators, mediators, and psychologists, with a tailor-made program . More than six out of ten people who graduate from the SAI successfully complete their program. The new projects are funded by the European Fami fund, and Sardinia, with limited places, gets priority in the event of a tie. Now the decision is up to the local authorities."
