As Backlog of Refugees Swells, Ladispoli Becomes ‘little Moscow’

Foreign refugees, including an overwhelming majority of Soviet Jews, now make up more than 30 percent of the population of the seaside town of Ladispoli, and local officials are increasingly concerned about the effect on the community.

“All the statistics indicate that the maximum percentage of tolerance is 10 immigrants for every 100 residents,” Deputy Mayor Crescenzo Paliotta told the Rome newspaper II Messaggero.

“We have arrived at a fixed immigrant presence of more than 30 percent,” he said. “For now, the situation is under control, but something could happen at any moment.”

According to recent figures, there are some 7,800 refugees in Ladispoli, whose permanent resident population numbers about 16,000.

The refugees include 5,500 Soviet Jews and Pentecostals, 1,500 Poles, and small groups of Egyptians, Afghans, Iranians, Tamils and Ethiopians.

All are living in temporary quarters, mainly rented seaside vacation apartments, waiting for immigration visas to the United States, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. They are trying to get by on limited funds.

In some ways, Ladispoli is turning into “Little Moscow,” with shops and real estate offices featuring signs in Russian and one of the town’s squares virtually taken over by a Russianstyle flea market.

So far, there has been little open friction between the refugees and residents, although two years ago the local branch of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement party tried to stir up trouble.

Today, Paliotta told Il Messaggero, the main problem is one of logistics and infrastructure.

“Imagine what may happen in any city that unexpectedly sees its number of inhabitants skyrocket. The public services, sanitation, sewers, water supply and public transport all are forced to support an unforeseen load,” he said.

Officials at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which helps the Soviet refugees with housing and provides a range of social services, are aware of the problem and have been trying to convince incoming Soviet Jews to seek temporary housing in other towns along the coast, where apartments are also available.

II Messaggero said Ladispoli town officials told the Joint that the town ideally could handle only 3,000 refugees. It said they had also asked the Interior Ministry for help in channeling new arrivals elsewhere.