Migrants and millions: the dark side of hospitality
On April 4, 2025, the Regional Court of Auditors in Calabria sentenced the National Confederation of the Misericordie of Italy to pay over 10 million euros in damages to the Ministry of the Interior. The ruling stems from years of mismanagement at migrant reception centers in Isola Capo Rizzuto, a town in the province of Crotone. Between 2006 and 2015, the centers—ostensibly dedicated to humanitarian care—were instead run by a network of local associations tied to public contracts and private interests. The national confederation was found liable for failing to monitor subcontracts it had authorized, resulting in the misuse of public funds.
Key figures behind the scandal include Leonardo Sacco, former governor of the local Misericordia, and Don Edoardo Scordio, a former parish priest. Both were held directly responsible for embezzling over 34 million euros in funds intended for asylum seekers. The Sant’Anna center, one of the largest in Europe, became the nucleus of a shadow economy allegedly influenced by the ‘Ndrangheta mafia clan, the Arenas. What should have been a facility of care and integration became, for years, a hub of corruption and clientelist arrangements.
The political response has been swift. Both the Brothers of Italy and the League have announced parliamentary inquiries. MP Augusta Montaruli described the case as “a reminder of why the Meloni government’s strict policies are essential to dismantle grotesque practices disguised as solidarity.” Deputy Minister Claudio Durigon echoed the call, demanding structural reform and denouncing “a corrupt and parasitic system that has profited from vulnerability.”
This is far from an isolated incident. In Riace, a small town also in Calabria, former mayor Mimmo Lucano was convicted in the first instance for irregularities in the management of migration funds. Though most charges were overturned on appeal, the case exposed serious flaws in alternative models of integration that, while celebrated in some media, often lacked administrative robustness.
The broader picture raises a stark question: can a hospitality system based on outsourcing, emergency funds, and opaque oversight ever guarantee transparency? The answer, judging by events, is troubling. For too long, lofty ideals of inclusion have masked systemic weaknesses and opened the door to opportunism. The state, in delegating responsibilities to loosely monitored third parties, has often forfeited its own role in ensuring that public money serves public good.
A different awareness is emerging in the national debate. Without firm labor integration, clear governance of expenditure, and strict limits on privatization, the risk remains that “hospitality” becomes an excuse for enrichment rather than a tool of justice. This issue transcends political affiliations. It touches on the very core of democratic accountability: using public funds in the name of human dignity must never be a cover for personal gain.
Migrants and millions: the dark side of hospitality
migrants, hospitality, corruption, public spending, italy,