PROCEEDINGS | Scientific Symposium
Fig . 1 - Source countries of refugees ( from the 2019 UNHCR Global Trends report )
In Italy , today there are 5 million resident immigrants , 450,000 are regular non-residents and about 170,000 asylum seekers . If we add to these figures the approximately 530,000 irregular migrants , we get 6.1 million people , 10.2 % of the total Italian population . That was 2.1 million in 2000 . According to the UN report on international migration published on International Migrant Day at the end of 2017 , 258 million people have left their countries of birth to live in other countries , an increase of 49 percent compared to 2000 , when there were 173 million , and 18 percent compared to 2010 , when there were 220 million . More than 60 percent of all international migrants live in Asia ( 80 million ) and Europe ( 78 million ). In North America there are 58 million , in Africa 25 . Finally , the number of refugees and asylum seekers , counted in 2016 , was estimated at just under 26 million people . These are impressive and significant numbers of epochal changes , which require – among the many difficulties and the social and economic problems that result – also innovative approaches and solutions to encourage the reception of migrants and for the realization of a dialogue and not a ‘ simple ’ integration or assimilation . Cultural heritage can be one of the possible keys to this challenge .
Museums of the migrations
In recent decades , initiatives to remember the historical phenomena of migration have multiplied , through the creation and setting up of migration museums in many countries - for a non-exhaustive list see Table 1 - , the realization of exhibitions and events such as ad hoc contemporary works of art , theatre and documentary performances , etc . Although deserving and of undoubted value and significance , all these museum-related initiatives have the limit of essentially addressing indigenous citizens , in order to illustrate an important but often painful page of their past . Of course , this knowledge and increased awareness serve to understand the problems and difficulties of today ’ s migrants and to foster a climate of tolerance and solidarity .
The peculiar characteristics of these museums are intelligently retraced by Eithne Nightingale , writer , photographer and researcher in particular on child migrants , whose blog Chirps from around the World ( https :// eithnenightingale . com /) highlights their merits and shortcomings , or rather , limitations .
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