Pandemic restrictions force migrants to attempt dangerous Alps crossing

Asylum seekers are trying to reach France by hiking across the mountains from Italy

Thousands of migrants have tried to cross the Alps into France since 2017. AFP

As borders within Europe become increasingly difficult to cross owing to pandemic restrictions, some migrants and asylum seekers who entered Europe through the Balkans are trying to reach France by hiking across the Alps from Italy.

The Italian Red Cross has been monitoring the Italian side of the Alps in the town of Claviere since 2017, when the route was mostly followed by migrants, many from Africa, arriving by sea.

But the Red Cross said that for a few months now there has been an increase in families, mainly from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq following the route.

Amir Hotak, 23, fled Afghanistan years ago to escape the daily violence and insecurity he faced there.

His odyssey to Italy took him through Iran, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia. Now he wants to go to Paris.

“In France is a good life. No war,” he said.

The Italian-French Alps can represent the last difficult border crossing in a migrant's arduous journey.

But hiking across them, especially in the winter, is difficult even for those who have overcome obstacles along the way.

Many try to cross at night to avoid being spotted by France's National Gendarmerie, which patrols the area on snow bikes.

If migrants are spotted near the border they are returned to Italy after only a few hours of detention.

The extreme cold mountain weather can also be lethal.

About 5,000 migrants have been intercepted in Claviere by the Red Cross since 2017, 1,500 of those since October, said Michele Belmondo, who patrols the mountains to warn migrants of the dangers, assist them with blankets and sometimes rescue them.

“Unfortunately, there have been cases of migrants who were rescued with serious injuries, serious hypothermia,” Ms Belmondo said.

“In some cases there have been permanent injuries, people who had their fingers amputated due to the extreme cold.”