With a foreign-born population of 3.4%, Catania is the city in Sicily with the highest number of immigrants. The figure has risen by 4.4% since last year.
Some 37,591 foreigners live in the Catania province on Sicily, making it the area of the Italian island that is home to the most foreigners. The number grew by 4.4% between 2018 and 2019. Of Catania's total population, 3.4% are of foreign nationality.
With 12,000 nationals, the largest community is Romanian, followed by Sri Lankan with just over 4,000 and Chinese with 2,000. Other significant communities are Albanian (under 2,000) as well as from Mauritius and Morocco (about 1,500 each).
Almost 14,000 in city of Catania
The city of Catania alone is home to nearly 14,000 foreign residents, accounting for about 4.5% of the total city population. The three largest groups of foreign nationals are those from Sri Lanka (2,629), Romania (2,269), and China (1,109).
These figures were included in a 2018-2019 report issued by the Italian branch of Caritas and Fondazione Migrants on migration. It was recently presented at Catania's Museo Diocesano. Migrant "reception must go beyond statistical aspects," said Catania Vicar-General Salvatore Genchi.
"Behind every number, there is the face of a man, woman, or child that needs our attention," Genchi said.