Asylum seekers are helping to revive abandoned villages in Calabria, in Italy's south.
Nicknamed "the city of immigrants" Riace has hosted up to 600 asylum seekers.
In October last year, Raice's mayor, Domenico Lucano, was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting illegal immigration.
But in the nearby village of Camini, 90 refugees are still living and participating in communal life.
Pauline Bandelier went to Camini to see how this project is progressing, despite the turmoil.
This is the first report in a three-part series.
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