Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Immigration & Emigration
Immigration and emigration are among the most pressing contemporary issues, and Sicily
is no stranger to the subject. Since the end of the 19th century the island has suffered an
enormous drain of human resources through emigration. Between 1880 and 1910, over 1.5
million Sicilians left for the US, and in 1900 the island was the world's main area of emig-
ration. In the 20th century, tens of thousands of Sicilians moved away in search of a better
life in Northern Italy, North America, Australia and other countries. Today, huge numbers
of young Sicilians - often the most educated - continue to leave the island. This brain-drain
epidemic is largely the result of the grim unemployment rate and the entrenched system of
patronage and nepotism, which makes it difficult for young people to get well-paid jobs
without having the right connections.
Cu si voli 'imbriacari, di vino bonu l'avi a fare.
He who wants to get drunk should do it with good wine.
Also, the fact that Sicily is one of the favoured ports of call for the thousands of
ex-
tracomunitari
(immigrants from outside the EU) who have flooded into Italy, some of them
illegally, has led to extra strain being placed on housing and infrastructure as well as in-
creased competition for jobs. Even so, Sicilians as a general rule have shown themselves to
be hospitable to these newcomers and understanding of the difficulties faced by political
and economic refugees from neighbouring countries that have recently suffered social up-
heavals, most notably Libya and Tunisia.
