Migrants Revitalize Palermo's Historic Center, Challenging Mafia Control Through Ballarò Market
The historic center of Palermo, which fell into neglect after World War II and suffered from mafia violence between the 1950s and 1980s, is experiencing a resurgence thanks to migrant populations. The Ballarò market, with a history spanning over a millennium, continues to thrive despite the rise of supermarkets. Since the late 1980s, an influx of migrants from Bangladesh and Africa has countered the area's population decline, nearly doubling the number of foreign-born residents to around 30,000. This demographic change has sparked mafia tensions, notably the April 4, 2016, shooting of Gambian migrant Yusupha Susso by Emanuele Rubino, associated with Cosa Nostra. On May 23, ten mafia members were apprehended for extorting immigrants. Mayor Leoluca Orlando advocates for multiculturalism to reduce crime, and the Consulta delle Culture, formed in 2013, addresses migrant concerns.
Key facts
- Ballarò market has operated in Palermo's center for over a thousand years
- Mafia damaged Palermo's historic center between the 1950s and 1980s, causing population decline
- Migrants began settling in the area in the late 1980s, reversing abandonment
- Foreign-born residents in Palermo nearly doubled to about 30,000 in the last decade
- Emanuele Rubino shot Yusupha Susso on April 4, 2016 in a mafia-related attack
- Ten mafia members were arrested on May 23 for threatening immigrants and extortion
- Palermo established the Consulta delle Culture in 2013 with 21 migrant representatives
- The Charter of Palermo declares movement between countries a human right
Entities
Institutions
- Consulta delle Culture
- Millevolti Capovolti
- Cosa Nostra
Locations
- Palermo
- Sicily
- Italy
- Bangladesh
- Africa
- Libya
- Gambia
- Germany
- United States
- Baghdad
- Strait of Sicily
- Albergheria
- Ballarò market
Sources
- Quartz —