Sicily: Migrant Economics

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Sicily, one of Europe's poorest regions, is at the forefront of the migration crisis. More than half a million migrants have passed through Italian ports since 2014, and numbers are on the rise again. Meanwhile Sicily's unemployment is among Italy's highest at over 22%. Many migrants end up exploited in the agricultural sector. We hear from Peter, a migrant who worked illegally on a fruit and vegetable farm, and speak to farmers who say smallholders are forced to employ illegal labour to compete with cheap fruit and vegetable imports from North Africa. And we visit Augusta, the Sicilian port which has dealt with the largest number of migrants, where mayor Cettina di Pietro tells us the authorities are struggling to cope and money is running out. (Photo: Migrants arriving at Messina harbor in Sicily, Credit: Getty Images)