Migrating individuals attempt to traverse the Alps on foot in pursuit of the UK

In the Italian Alps, a group of Sudanese and Afghans are preparing for their journey to freedom by swapping their sandals for hiking boots and flip-flops for sturdy trainers. These migrants, mostly young men, have arrived at a temporary camp in the town of Oulx, where local volunteers provide them with donated coats to survive the challenging mountain temperatures they will face on their journey. Despite reaching Italy from various parts of Africa and the Middle East, these individuals aim to continue their journey to France and beyond. Italy has seen a significant increase in migrant arrivals this year, with over 130,000 migrants entering the country, almost double the number compared to the same period last year. Many of these migrants plan to travel north towards the border with France. However, France has recently started detaining and pushing back undocumented migrants, implementing border controls and suspending parts of the Schengen free movement regulations. The European Court of Justice has ruled that these pushbacks violate EU law and that any detained migrants should be subjected to an official return decision. Forced removal should only be used as a last resort. Despite the potential risks and the possibility of being sent back, migrants like Omar from Nigeria are determined to reach their desired destinations. Omar spent months in Libya before paying smugglers to cross the Mediterranean to Lampedusa. From there, he moved to different camps in Italy before making his way to the French border. His ultimate goal is to reach the UK, where he hopes for a better life and the opportunity to study. While some migrants fail in their attempts to cross the border, the checks conducted by Italian police are infrequent. Volunteers at the camp in Oulx express the belief that the authorities are aware of their activities but choose to turn a blind eye. Italy has been criticized for enabling illegal migration, with some politicians arguing that NGOs contributing to migrant assistance in the country act as a "pull factor." However, the volunteers maintain that they are driven by the responsibility to help those in need and highlight the collective responsibility of Europe to address the migration issue. Migrants face multiple challenges as they attempt to cross the border. In the Alpine town of Claviere, the migrants reach the border itself after a short bus ride. However, fearing encounters with the police, most migrants avoid the official crossing and instead hide in the forest, waiting for an opportunity to cross the mountains clandestinely. The treacherous paths and the rapidly dropping temperatures have already claimed several lives. Some migrants search for alternative routes in Ventimiglia, a coastal city in Italy near Nice. Here, migrants camp at the station with hopes of boarding a cross-border train. However, France's strict controls lead to frequent checks by French police, resulting in the expulsion of migrants caught without documents. The increasing number of migrant arrivals has resulted in tensions in Ventimiglia. The mayor, Flavio di Muro, from the far-right Lega party, criticizes France's suspension of the Schengen free movement zone and argues that each country is setting its own limits on migration. He claims that Italy has unfairly shouldered the burden and highlights incidents in which migrants vandalized the cemetery. Di Muro fears that the city could become a northern version of Lampedusa, referring to the southern Italian island that has been a major entry point for migrants. In Claviere, as autumn progresses, the temperature drops rapidly. At night, groups of migrants seek shelter near the church, where they huddle together and sometimes light fires to keep warm before attempting to cross the mountains undetected. The Red Cross provides food and water to these migrants, and workers recount finding individuals who required amputations due to frostbite. Overall, the situation on the Italian-French border underscores a growing bottleneck in Europe. Despite the efforts of European leaders, the determination of desperate migrants to pursue better lives remains unyielding.