Italy's Southern Exposure By Kimberly Hamilton Migration Policy
Institute Updated March 2003 with the assistance of Maia
Jachimowicz Like many of its southern European neighbors, Italy
has struggled to find the right tone and approach toward
immigration. In the 1980s, seemingly overnight, Italy found
itself transformed from a country of emigrants — providing a
larger number of immigrants to the United States in the late
19th and early 20th centuries than any other European country —
to a net receiver Today, immigration poses several challenges to
Italy. Its southern border has made it an easy target for
undocumented immigrants. Regional conflict has fueled an
increase in those seeking work and asylum in Italy and, from
there, other countries. Meanwhile, nontraditional sending
countries to Italy are providing a growing number of immigrants,
further diversifying Italy's In 2000, Italy's official
statistics reported 272,000 legal admissions, led by immigrants
from Albania, Morocco, Romania, China, and the Philip