If you dream of living in Italy, maybe your time has come. Some municipalities in sunny Calabria in the south of the country are suffering from a long-term population decline, which the region is trying to reverse. It attracts new residents by offering money.
An amount of up to 28 thousand euros (approximately 720 thousand crowns) is offered for immigration over a period of three years. These are usually villages with up to two thousand inhabitants, some located near the sea, others in the mountains.
But the reward is not just for nothing. As the website states CNN, new residents must commit to starting a business on the spot. They can start either from scratch or take over an existing shop or other business.
The offer is also limited by age. New residents must not be older than 40 years. And they must be willing to immigrate to Calabria within 90 days of approving the application. The leadership of the region promises that it will attract young active people with a desire to work and start sleepy villages.
Calabrian official Gianluca Gallo told CNN that one of the options is for new immigrants to receive € 800 to € 1,000 each month for two to three years. An alternative is a one-time financial assistance in starting a business, whether it is a restaurant, bar, farm or shop.
The project is expected to launch in a few weeks. The region has allocated about 700 thousand euros for it. “The goal is to support the local economy and breathe new life into small communities. We want the demand for jobs to match supply, so we asked the municipalities to tell us what type of profession they lack. To attract specific workers,” Gallo said.
More than 75% of the cities in Calabria (about 320) have less than five thousand inhabitants, leading to fears that if nothing is done about it, some communities could become extinct in a few years. Which cities does the project cover at all?
The most picturesque of them are, for example, Civita or Aieta, which lie in a mountainous area in the Pollino National Park. Another is the town of Samo, located at the foot of the Aspromonte National Park.
The inhabitants are also looking for Bova, which is located at the very tip of the “Italian shoes”, so you should be close to the island of Sicily. Another is the village of Caccuri, which boasts a medieval castle and the production of extra virgin olive oil.
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