“Working in the black market is impossible, because the police ask why you are walking in the street,” he told Reuters from Palermo, the capital of Sicily. “They want to know everything and you risk being fined.”

La Barbera is one of millions in the shadow economies of Europe who face dire risks because they will fall through the safety nets being rolled out as economies slide into reverse.

In Sicily, one of Italy’s poorest regions, concerns have been raised over the plight of the needy after some people refused to pay for goods at a Palermo supermarket and police were called.

According to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report in November, the share of the shadow economy is significant in many European countries, ranging from 10% to over 40%.

It put Italy’s shadow economy at 27.3% in 2016, the latest year for estimates, but Greece – with 30.2% – had the highest rate among the advanced economies that share the euro currency.