Foreign Jews in Fascist Italy: An Overview

The Italian experience of Jewish refugees stands out because of a few particular as- pects: the geographical position of the peninsula and the importance of its harbors; the tradition of a hospitable country; the changing attitude of the Fascist regime towards Jews; and the choices made in 1938, including the decision not to take part in the Évian Conference. This article sheds light on different measures that the regime implemented to deal with the issue of Jewish refugees as a consequence of the Évian Conference. I will examine the period between 1933, when Italy experienced the first wave of Jewish refugees, and 1943, when most of the country fell under the Nazi occupation and the refugees were treated like the rest of the Italian Jews. I will divide the period into four main phases. Until the spring of 1938, the Jewish immigration to Italy was not regulated, and the first measures were introduced following the Anschluss. The peak was reached in September 1938, with the introduction of the Italian racial laws, which prescribed, among oth- er things, the expulsion of everyone fitting the Fascist definition of a “foreign Jew.” Nevertheless, until 1940, it was still possible to cross the borders. The refugees kept entering Italy, hoping to find a safe harbor and flee Europe; however, most of them were interned in the Fascist camps and handed to the Nazi occupiers.