Emma Bonino, Vice President of the Senate and a historical radical exponent, has always been attentive to social dynamics. No wonder why she is sensible to immigration issue, even to its entailed economic implications. Significant implications, as demonstrated by the last measure regarding  the contrast of the employment of illegal immigrants.

 

Calling it regularization is inappropriate in juridical terms, furthermore it transmits a wrong message. It's rather an individual surfacing from informal employment, since the identification of the employer and the employee is mandatory by this measure. If the number of applications then turns to be high, it will mean that there is a high level of existing illegality.

 

My main concern is that the Italian employers will not seize this opportunity of legality even this time. Although, I would have expected much more: We radicals have presented 11 proposals on immigration, and this measure is one of our ideas.

 

My appeal is to all Italians: use this European Directive because legality is more convenient. I know that many would hesitate to pay 1000 euros plus the arrears, and would just ignore the measure. However, it should be understood that it would be an illegal behaviour, and that it is necessary to regularize, also to avoid legal actions.  Only by this way the measure would achieve its utmost outcome, avoiding a possible conflict between  employer and  employee. 

 

For many years we have been dominated by the culture "leave it to the immigrant". It's a typical reaction of all societies, particularly during crisis periods, when it's easy to find a scapegoat. It's weird that all economic figures prove the opposite: everybody knows that without immigrants the general markets of Milan would just stop. Italy and Europe need immigration.

 

Absolutely. Illegality prevails. There's much talk about prohibition, but illegality is tolerated, just as in the case of drugs. The political line of prohibition is easy to sell, but we know that it never works, when you prohibit abortion and drugs, you find them clandestinely. Social phenomena, according to a liberal culture, should be legalized and regularized within a context of rights and obligations. It's obvious that it requires a major political effort. The application of prohibition equals tolerating illegality, this is the truth, and when it comes to immigrants, there is no exception. Respect for rights and obligations, could be an indicator that works best for the immigration phenomenon. A model, even though successful models of  managing this phenomenon don't exist in the world.

This is the thesis on which our 11 proposals are based, it seems to me that if Italians seize the benefit of this initiative, it would be a positive sign. 

However, there is a need for a media campaign, as the deadline for applying the measure, from September 15 till October 15, is approaching, and there's a risk that nobody knows about it. We need a pressing media campaign that explains to Italians that regularizing undocumented immigrants is beneficial to them and to the whole country. Without this campaign, certainly the trend of illegality of Italians will not change.

 

It would be also useful to allow for better integration.

Definitely, how could you integrate an irregular with no rights or obligations and subject to blackmailing?

 

As for blackmailing, what do you think of the possibility of the immigrant to denounce his employer?

The major step should be made by Italians, the irregular immigrant is in a vulnerable condition. Furthermore, the denounce by immigrants would create tensions in social relations, and the Italian directive excludes the possibility of representation by labor syndicates stipulated by the European directive. The Italian transposition of the directive is more restrictive. Anyway, I believe that the immigrant is quite vulnerable to denounce, how could he work afterwards with the employer that he denounced? That's why my appeal is to the Italians: regularize, it's more convenient for you. 

 

There's a remaining problem though,  specially during the current crisis, many believe that paying 1000 euros to the National Institute for Social Security in addition to six months contributes, is an excessive tax to pay.

Installments could be a solution. I hope that the ministerial decrees that will be issued, would provide two corrections: installments, perhaps an employer has 5 employees; and the extension of the deadline of application, since there is no piece of information, few will be ready by September 15.

 

Let's start with this one now, otherwise we will risk doing nothing. The immigration policy does not have miraculous solutions. There are many sectors waiting for answers: an organic law on asylum right, the complex issue of citizenship and the problem of the immigrants that arrive to Italy and do not find jobs. We should absolutely abolish the crime of illegal residence. These irregular foreign workers became criminals because we have invented the offence of illegal residence. We have to forget about a one meticulous solution.

 

It takes time. The government has made a step, politics should make much more, but also the citizens should do their part. In a society, everyone should do his part: the mass media, the industries, the syndicates, the citizens. It's a true challenge, but it's time to start.