Italy

Sicily, Italy's gateway, accounts for 62% of the country's exile arrivals, even though it has an unemployment rate of nearly 60% among young people. With the Dublin agreements, the re-establishment of border controls and the end of the relocation program, thousands of exiles were stuck in Italy. Despite the government's firm and populist line, Leoluca Orlando, the mayor of Palermo, tirelessly advocated for solidarity.

OUR ACTIONS

Since its creation in 2021, the Italian branch of BSF has promoted education and the socio-professional inclusion of the most vulnerable populations. BSF Italy has notably established educational and cultural shelters to support the integration and reconstruction of migrants.

  • Emergency micro-libraries in refugee reception centers in Turin, providing residents with a space to rest and plan for their future after war and the trauma of exile.
  • Multilingual micro-libraries to combat school dropout rates in multicultural schools in the suburbs of Milan, Rome, and Turin.
  • The Check IT OUT program, designed to help students fight misinformation in school libraries across four regions of the country.

SEA BEYOND: Raising Ocean Conservation Awareness

As part of the SEA BEYOND oceanic educational programme, we are raising youth awareness in underprivileged neighbourhoods of Naples for ocean conservation through educational activities on biodiversity, climate, and the sustainable management of resources with a SEA BEOYND Ideas Box specially designed with the help of UNESCO-IOC experts. 

Themed content is also included in 18 Ideas Boxes in France, Burundi, and Ivory Coast.

Financial partners: Groupe Prada and UNESCO-IOC
Operational partner: Fondation Quartieri Spagnoli
Tools: 1 Ideas Box

Life-Saving Books in the Mediterranean

BSF has installed a library of 200 books and games—in Arabic, English, and French—aboard the SOS Humanity rescue ship, which sails the Mediterranean to save migrants from drowning. Culture plays a crucial role in the crew’s activities, helping survivors overcome trauma, fight boredom, and regain their sense of humanity.

Supporting Young Migrants in Palermo

In 2018, BSF installed an Ideas Box in Sicily, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the city of Palermo. Working with local organizations, the initiative supports the integration of young exiles through digital tools, board games, and books that help with learning Italian and job searching.

Every day, around 30 young migrants—mainly from Guinea, Gambia, and Burkina Faso—gather in this space. The project has since expanded to include workshops on migrant representation in the European media, the production of a short film, and the creation of a tourist map of Palermo.

Managed by the Booq association, trained by LWB, the Ideas Box is located in the heart of the repurposed Cantieri Culturali della Zisa industrial space, alongside the Institut Français, Goethe Institute, Academy of Fine Arts, and the city’s only public cinema.

Libri: Improving the Integration of Exiled Groups

As the head of a European consortium, we support libraries in their role of welcoming exiled populations by sharing good practices, resources, and networking.  
 
Financial partners: Union Européenne – Fonds Asile et Migrations 
Operational partners: ANVITA, ACV, KISC, FRSI, EBLIDA, BSF Italie 
Tools: E-PANEMA platform and practice guides