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-   -   Sicily in the refugee era (http://www.travelbanter.com/showthread.php?t=182658)

[email protected] May 20th, 2017 07:09 PM

Sicily in the refugee era
 
Sicily has been on my bucket list for years, and my wife and I may finally make it this year.

But I'm wondering about the effect of the refugee crisis. Is the island more dangerous, given the numbers of desperate people trying to eke out an existence?

We have 12 days to plan for. Would like to see as much of Sicily as we can, without cramming too much into too few days.

Thanks!

poldy May 20th, 2017 08:47 PM

Sicily in the refugee era
 
On 5/20/17 11:09 AM, wrote:
Sicily has been on my bucket list for years, and my wife and I may finally make it this year.

But I'm wondering about the effect of the refugee crisis. Is the island more dangerous, given the numbers of desperate people trying to eke out an existence?

We have 12 days to plan for. Would like to see as much of Sicily as we can, without cramming too much into too few days.

Thanks!


You have some big cities, with some dodgy areas which are best avoided
at certain times.

But most of the tourist attractions will have plenty of people around,
depending on when you go.

Some of the places are small towns or parts of bigger cities.

Not aware of any refugee camps or anything. A lot of areas are run
down, as Southern Italy has been economically in decline for a long time.

But places like Taormina and Siracusa draw big tourist dollars and have
recently built or renovated hotels.

Surreyman[_3_] May 21st, 2017 10:09 AM

Sicily in the refugee era
 
On Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 8:47:28 PM UTC+1, poldy wrote:
On 5/20/17 11:09 AM, wrote:
Sicily has been on my bucket list for years, and my wife and I may finally make it this year.

But I'm wondering about the effect of the refugee crisis. Is the island more dangerous, given the numbers of desperate people trying to eke out an existence?

We have 12 days to plan for. Would like to see as much of Sicily as we can, without cramming too much into too few days.

Thanks!


You have some big cities, with some dodgy areas which are best avoided
at certain times.

But most of the tourist attractions will have plenty of people around,
depending on when you go.

Some of the places are small towns or parts of bigger cities.

Not aware of any refugee camps or anything. A lot of areas are run
down, as Southern Italy has been economically in decline for a long time.

But places like Taormina and Siracusa draw big tourist dollars and have
recently built or renovated hotels.


We're off to Taormina for last two weeks of June.
Ensure you avoid G7 there, late May!!
All enquiries suggest that refugees are 'controlled' into camps wherever and do not impinge upon daily life.

Erilar May 22nd, 2017 01:48 PM

Sicily in the refugee era
 
poldy wrote:
On 5/20/17 11:09 AM, wrote:
Sicily has been on my bucket list for years, and my wife and I may
finally make it this year.

But I'm wondering about the effect of the refugee crisis. Is the island
more dangerous, given the numbers of desperate people trying to eke out an existence?

We have 12 days to plan for. Would like to see as much of Sicily as we
can, without cramming too much into too few days.

Thanks!


You have some big cities, with some dodgy areas which are best avoided
at certain times.

But most of the tourist attractions will have plenty of people around,
depending on when you go.

Some of the places are small towns or parts of bigger cities.

Not aware of any refugee camps or anything. A lot of areas are run
down, as Southern Italy has been economically in decline for a long time.

But places like Taormina and Siracusa draw big tourist dollars and have
recently built or renovated hotels.


It's quite a few years since I was there, but A: I was with a group and B:
we were visiting places like ancient ruins that would be unlikely to
attract refugees. If you happen to have similar interests, I'd say you'd be
fine 8-) I really enjoyed my visit, at any rate 8-)

--
biblioholic medievalist via iPad

Giovanni Drogo May 22nd, 2017 04:42 PM

Sicily in the refugee era
 
But I'm wondering about the effect of the refugee crisis.

I would guess tourists won't be affected, and not in Sicily any more
than other parts of Italy

Not aware of any refugee camps or anything. A lot of areas are run
down,


or may be not, or most likely the situation will be mixed (for instance
Palermo has been nominated Culture Capital for 2018)

Anyhow this site of the Ministry of Interior lists the various places
for the various categories of people (requestors of political asylum,
illegal immigrants etc.)

http://www.interno.gov.it/it/temi/im...-limmigrazione

.... try a translator to get an idea, you can see not many of them are in
Sicily, and usually not close to tourist places. Unless you occur to be
around one of the ports where the rescue ships arrive (*), you are
unlikely to notice anything. Irregular immigrants would not want to stay
around in Sicily, they want to move north (northern Italy or northern
Europe)

(*) or where they want to go OUT of the country. Several months ago
there were crowds near the stations of Ventimiglia (people wanting to go
to France) and Como SG (people wanting to go to Switzerland and north) !

I would avoid instead the area of Taormina during the period of the G7
http://www.g7italy.it/en/news because of the security limitations
(actually the newspaper reported also that the ships with rescued
irregular immigrants won't be allowed to land in Sicily during the G7
.... I wonder that means they will be routed elsewhere)

poldy May 22nd, 2017 07:56 PM

Sicily in the refugee era
 
On 5/22/17 8:42 AM, Giovanni Drogo wrote:
But I'm wondering about the effect of the refugee crisis.


I would guess tourists won't be affected, and not in Sicily any more
than other parts of Italy

Not aware of any refugee camps or anything. A lot of areas are run
down,


or may be not, or most likely the situation will be mixed (for instance
Palermo has been nominated Culture Capital for 2018)

Anyhow this site of the Ministry of Interior lists the various places
for the various categories of people (requestors of political asylum,
illegal immigrants etc.)

http://www.interno.gov.it/it/temi/im...-limmigrazione


... try a translator to get an idea, you can see not many of them are in
Sicily, and usually not close to tourist places. Unless you occur to be
around one of the ports where the rescue ships arrive (*), you are
unlikely to notice anything. Irregular immigrants would not want to stay
around in Sicily, they want to move north (northern Italy or northern
Europe)

(*) or where they want to go OUT of the country. Several months ago
there were crowds near the stations of Ventimiglia (people wanting to go
to France) and Como SG (people wanting to go to Switzerland and north) !

I would avoid instead the area of Taormina during the period of the G7
http://www.g7italy.it/en/news because of the security limitations
(actually the newspaper reported also that the ships with rescued
irregular immigrants won't be allowed to land in Sicily during the G7
... I wonder that means they will be routed elsewhere)



It's crazy that they chose Taormina.

We plebs have to park above the town, near the highway, and take the
electrical bus down.

I imagine the dignitaries will be driven in their limos past the bus
station and put right in front at the gate.

Lorne Walton May 22nd, 2017 09:30 PM

Sicily in the refugee era
 
Thanks everyone. Looking forward to Sicily in September.


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