Italy’s migrant tide

WHEN it rains in the charming lakeside town of Como in northern Italy, young Bangladeshi men are ready on nearly every street corner with a supply of cheap umbrellas to meet the needs of unprepared tourists. In the stately open piazzas of Milan and Turin, their compatriots approach couples while brandishing roses, hoping to sell them singly or in bunches. Meanwhile, fake designer bags are hawked on the pavements of Florence and Venice by young Moroccans, who also offer  "ethnic” jewellery and craft items. Street-food vendors in Rome, busy dishing out Italian favourites such as pizza or gelato or newer food crazes such as falafel, come from countries as far apart as Ecuador, Tunisia and Sri Lanka.