Italy
Number of people served: 20,970
Each year, Italy receives more refugees and asylum seekers than any other country in Europe, mostly coming by boat across the Mediterranean Sea. Almost 50,000 migrants are living without status in Italy, almost half of whom have applied for asylum. The majority of these migrants have experienced some trauma on their journey to Italy, often led by smugglers. Italy has been overwhelmed by this number of migrants and asylum seekers, and there are few resources available for these migrants in Italy, even for those who receive refugee status.
Our Work in Italy
JRS Italy (Centro Astalli) provides a variety of services to asylum seekers and refugees such as daily hot meals, Italian language lessons, shelters, medical, and legal support. Centro Astalli gives particular attention to the accompaniment of the most vulnerable refugees, such as those who have been victims of torture. Every day, 450 volunteers (lawyers, doctors, students, teachers, etc.) help Centro Astalli to feed, advocate, integrate, teach, and accompany refugees and asylum seekers in Italy.