The Turin Olympic Village is located next to the Lingotto, where the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Main Press Centre (MPC) are situated. The Village has regenerated the surrounding area and has at its heart the restored historic building of the Mercati Generali (General Markets). Covering 100,000 square meters, the Village will cater to up to 2,500 people providing gyms, shops, restaurants and a medical center. After the Games, the Village will become the property of the City, with a part being used for housing and the rest for research and high-tech services.

        Today, it is the site of one of the largest housing occupations Turin has ever seen. Once again, it is home to dozens of nationalities, but now the village’s residents include more than 1,000 refugees and migrants from Libya to Somalia who are squatting four of its buildings. Italy faced the sharp end of the 2008 global financial crisis. As a result, welfare was stunted and unemployment in some regions has surged. So it is, perhaps, understandable that there are limited financial resources to provide support for new arrivals. But concerns about Italy’s response to refugees extend beyond the financial. In the face of rising numbers of migrants, Italy has struggled to maintain humane conditions for these people.

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