The welcome centre in the town of Crotone has housed thousands of migrants over the past decade.
But unknown to authorities until this week, the Sant'Anna Cara Immigrant Centre had been housing an unwelcome presence, too -- corruption.
Authorities have arrested more than 60 members of the Italian mafia after discovering they were pocketing millions of euros dedicated to Italy's heavy intake of migrants and refugees.
A priest and the head of the Catholic volunteer group Mercy, a major national organisation running migrant centres around the country, were also arrested.
The head of the police force in charge of the operation, General Giuseppe Governale, says the priest organised what he calls a "system" of exploitation of public funds.
"The reception centre and the Mercy group were the cash machine of the mafia."
As much as $40 million in public funds destined for migrant and refugee care at the centre between 2006 and 2015 allegedly went into the mafia's hands.
It allegedly happened when Mercy subcontracted catering services to companies run by the group.
Investigators say part of the illegal operation involved charging for more meals than provided, then pocketing the money to buy real estate, fancy cars and luxury boats.
"Five hundred migrants arrive there at midday, but there is food only for 250. (So) 250 migrants will eat no lunch, and they will eat in the evening, if the food will arrives on time, or they will eat the next day. In the meantime, the head of the Mercy group, the priest and their friends grew fat, earned millions of euros. With this money, they buy theatres, cinemas, flats, bought luxury cars, luxury boats."
About 16 million euros are put into the welcome centre every year to help the country grapple with its migrant and refugee crisis.
More than half a million migrants have reached Italy since 2014, mostly by boat across the Mediterranean Sea from nearby Libya.
That has prompted Italy's interior minister, Marco Minniti, to now give the Libyan coastguard four patrol boats to help curb the problem.
"From this point on, they can contribute to a double operation. The first is the control of Libyan waters, which is highly important for the stability of this country. The second is to contribute with other European countries and Italy to the security of the central Mediterranean, with a capacity to intervene against human traffickers and with preventative action against terrorism."
This time of year on the European continent is high season for migration, when many try to cross the borders into Europe in warming and less dangerous conditions.
But the International Organisation for Migration says more than a thousand have died or remain missing in the sea over the past three years.
So far, more than 43,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe by sea this year.
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