For decades, the story of southern Italy has been one of departure, of generations leaving the hills of Calabria and the shores of Sicily in search of opportunity in the industrial north or abroad. Now however, growing numbers of migrants are being lured back by improving job prospects and infrastructure projects, offering hope that the chronic wealth divide between Italy's regions could finally begin to narrow.
Italy has the euro zone's third largest economy but regions such as Sicily, Campania around Naples and Calabria in the toe of the peninsula are among the poorest in the currency bloc, Eurostat data shows. A lasting recovery in the south would stabilise internal migration flows, potentially improving public services and giving a competitive boost to Italy as a whole.
