Every year thousands of foreign nationals without a residence permit are held within the Centres for Identification and Expulsion (CIE), in which they can remain detained until a year and a half, without having committed any crime. Administrative detention in Europe is the ultimate consequence of borders management within the Schengen area. The operators of Ancona and Fiumicino border police, followed in their normal controls for combating illegal immigration, show to the crew how that space works. The CIE, surrounded by a mute silence, appear to be the ultimate consequence of affirming an European identity.

Alessio Genovese is a reporter and documentary filmmaker with extensive experience in the Middle East, working for years in Palestinian refugee camps. He works on projects on migrants conditions in Europe and the Mediterranean. He lives in Trapani in Sicily. Raffaella Cosentino, freelance reporter and documentary filmmaker, cooperates with the agency Redattore Sociale and with Repubblica.it, dealing mainly with human rights, immigration and mafias. She prefers web communication channels and videos.