Case Study 2: Torino’s Associazione Apolié drop-in centre

•Since 2000 Italy’s GDP growth has been below the Euro-area average, and total factor productivity growth has been very weak, and at times, negative (OECD, 2005)•The labour market is highly regulated and inflexible.•Italy has experienced high levels of immigration in recent years, particularly from countries outside the European Union (EU). However, Italian immigration policy generally lacks clarity and is the country is therefore struggling to cope with large-scale inflows. Official quotas are low1 but the long coastline and proximity to North Africa make illegal entry relatively easy (OECD, 2005).•The processes for registering and working are complicated and bureaucratic, and the tax system discourages entry into the formal labour market. Many immigrants remain clandestine and work informally (Cuttitta, 2008).•The latest OECD report on Italy recommends that job-related training be the next priority reform to labour markets and social policies (OECD, 2005).[...]