Italian deceased abroad, in addition to the emotional ordeal also the economic one: the case of the Maldives
When our compatriots abroad often die, a emotional ordeal and a economic load to bear much heavier than one can imagine, above all, if it is a question of the disappearance of a loved one in countries very far from Italy. It happened to people I know but I did some investigations and I came across a little-known reality except for those who unfortunately found themselves in this dramatic situation.
In addition to great pain for the departure of the loved one, in fact, in these cases we find ourselves facing great inconvenience for everything concerning the question of the repatriation of the body to Italy. In particular, I care about telling the story of a person who died in the Maldives, but these situations seem to happen almost everywhere, especially in overseas countries. Where an Italian person dies, far from home, this problem exists.
For what concern issuing of authorisations but also for the costs of funeral services only a few countries (15 almost all in Europe except Mexico, Chile, Egypt and Congo) have signed the Berlin Convention of 1937 which facilitates the procedures. For all other parts of the world, to obtain the repatriation of the body to Italy from a non-signatory country when the sad news of the death is learned, the procedure provides that the Consulate General or the Italian Embassy must be contacted to obtain the transfer of the body.
And it is here that times often stretch unbearably and harmfully. Returning to the Maldives affair that was reported to me, once the death certificate of the deceased person was delivered by the Maldivian authorities and when it is sent to Italy, a huge gap has emerged caused by the administrative bureaucracy which, unfortunately, enters into this already sad situation where not only must coping with the loss of a loved one but to which is added the enormous pain given by the impossibility of bringing the body home in a short time.
The problem is that once received, i documents get stuck at the embassy and there is no organization to have a preferential lane at the Farnesina that allows our Italians who died abroad to return in good time to have a proper burial. Then, taking a step back and returning to the place of death, from what has emerged it seems that there is some sort of morgue racket in the Maldive Islands. A local business. In fact, keeping a body in the Malè morgue costs 500 dollars a day. Which you cannot fail to anticipate.
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