So far this year more than 35,000 people fleeing war and poverty in Africa are thought to have crossed to Europe, with many having died while attempting the journey. Yet on a Saturday the port of Palermo is full of cars loaded with goods heading the other way, from Italy to north Africa.
Photographer Eugenio Grosso took pictures of the heavily loaded cars, mainly belonging to Tunisian immigrants who gather to take a ferry to Tunis. Grosso says that some of them are travelling home for a holiday, while others are professional sellers who go back and forth each week, following in the footsteps of their ancestors.
"All of them carry something to sell. Since the economic crisis hit Europe, numerous immigrants have lost their jobs. By reviving the old practice of sea trade, these people have created a new chance for business and an effective way to deal with the slump."
"In the era of globalisation, when huge cargo ships move products from one corner of the world to another, these immigrants are modern safe-keepers of a much older custom."
"As well as their products, these people bring along their traditions and knowledge, contributing to the ongoing creation of the Mediterranean culture."