Northern Italy continues to play a major role in migration, integration, and cross-border movement, as seen during an InfoMigrants visit to Milan, Monfalcone, and Trieste in early October 2025. These cities reflect different sides of migration in Italy, from shelter and social support to employment, health care, education, and border control. Together, they show how migrants experience both opportunity and challenge as they try to rebuild their lives.
The journey began in Milan, Italy’s financial capital and one of the cities with the highest number of migrants in the country. Many organizations work there to support migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. One of the most active is Fondazione Progetto Arca, which started in 1994 and expanded its work with migrants in 2011. Today, it supports women, children, and families by offering safe housing, food, legal help, and emotional support. For many migrants, especially mothers and children, these services provide stability after long and dangerous journeys.
One woman supported by Progetto Arca is Noura, a 31-year-old mother from Tunisia. After traveling through Turkey, Serbia, Germany, and Austria, she finally found safety in Milan. Her story reflects the difficult paths many migrants take before arriving in Italy. She described feeling welcomed for the first time and said this sense of acceptance helped her begin a new life. Stories like hers highlight the importance of community-based support in helping migrants recover and integrate.
Beyond humanitarian aid, Milan is also focusing on integration through work and training. The Milan Chamber of Commerce runs a pilot project called Integra, which offers job-related training to migrants. Working with business associations, the project helps migrants enter sectors that urgently need workers. This approach not only supports migrants financially but also helps Italian society by filling labor shortages and promoting social inclusion through employment.
From Milan, the focus shifted to northeastern Italy, particularly Trieste and Monfalcone, close to the Slovenian border. In these cities, InfoMigrants visited housing projects for unaccompanied migrant minors who arrived via the Balkan route. Staff working in these facilities explained the challenges of supporting young migrants within Italy’s system, while also stressing that these youths could become valuable members of society if given proper care, education, and opportunities.
Trieste is also home to several organizations working together to support migrants through a shared day center. These groups provide food, legal guidance, and medical care, but they also see their work as a response to gaps in state support. One organization, Donk Humanitarian Medicine, offers medical help to migrants who cannot access public healthcare. Their volunteers treat both physical injuries and mental health issues, often linked to trauma experienced during migration.
In Monfalcone, migration has brought social and cultural tension alongside economic contribution. Many migrants in the town work in shipyards and come from Bangladesh. However, a dispute between local authorities and an Islamic cultural center has left Muslims without a place to pray together. This has deeply affected the community, raising concerns about religious freedom, belonging, and visibility within Italian society.
Finally, migration in this region cannot be separated from border control. Trieste lies at the end of the Balkan route, and joint patrols between Italian and Slovenian police aim to manage migrant crossings. These patrols have existed for years, but questions remain about their effectiveness and humanitarian impact. By observing these patrols and speaking to experts, InfoMigrants highlighted the complex balance between security, legal responsibility, and human rights.