Italian town of L’Aquila faces a sudden migrant surge after TikTok videos by Afghan creators promoted the town as an asylum destination in central Italy.
Authorities in the central Italian town of L’Aquila are investigating a sudden surge of migrants, reportedly drawn by social media videos suggesting the town as a promising place to seek asylum.
Nestled among the Apennine Mountains, roughly 70 miles northeast of Rome, L’Aquila is known for its 11th-century historic walls, vibrant university culture, and proximity to ski resorts. While these attributes make the town appealing, recent weeks have seen an unexpected influx of migrants primarily from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Investigators traced the surge to a TikTok account, Hayatkhan2.0, whose videos in the Pashto dialect promoted life in L’Aquila and suggested it as a suitable destination for asylum seekers. Afghan migrants arriving in the town confirmed that information from social media guided their journeys. One 19-year-old Afghan explained that while fingerprints were taken upon arrival, local authorities instructed him and others to leave when they sought asylum.
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Ismail Khojni, a 36-year-old Afghan migrant, told The Times he learned of L’Aquila through other migrants at Rome’s bus station, highlighting the rapid circulation of information on TikTok about which Italian towns are perceived as asylum-friendly. Reports suggest some migrants paid people-smuggling networks upwards of €13,000 ($15,000) for passage to Europe.
Mayor Pierluigi Biondi acknowledged the town’s limited capacity to accommodate the arrivals. “This isn’t Lampedusa, we are in the mountains, so someone’s behind this,” he said, referencing the Mediterranean island that traditionally receives first arrivals from North Africa. Biondi warned that if the city formally accepted the migrants, social media would likely amplify the message, prompting an even larger influx.
The migrants currently rely on local support for basic needs. A charity offering gym sessions for older residents donated 20 blankets, and a temporary soup kitchen has been established. Italy has recorded more than 61,000 migrant arrivals so far in 2025, reflecting broader European migration trends.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini criticized the European Union, suggesting the influx is part of a broader effort to “destroy our social and economic fabric and our values.” Meanwhile, migration numbers are rising globally: in the UK, 111,000 people claimed asylum in the year ending June 2025, a 14% increase from the previous year and higher than the previous peak in 2002.
The incident in L’Aquila underscores the growing influence of social media on migration patterns, illustrating how online platforms can shape real-world movement and place unexpected pressure on local communities.
