Italian Municipality Seeks Help as Immigration Regulations Overwhelm Staff
The regulation on scheduled entries of foreigners into Italy is causing quite a few problems for the municipality of Castiglione, a town where, among other things, the immigrant population is continuously growing and now accounts for over 6 percent of the population—almost three times the national average.
To raise awareness and seek help in handling the procedures, the commander of the Polizia Municipale, Aldo Aresti, publicly addressed the Associazione Equatore. The municipality is nearing collapse, overwhelmed with paperwork and requests that the staff are unable to manage due to lacking the necessary tools.
The commander of the Polizia Municipale is therefore requesting collaboration from the Associazione Equatore. “The decree of May 17th, regarding the exemption from the quota of scheduled entries for foreigners, is creating an extremely difficult situation: we do not know how to meet the demand for guarantee certificates from foreigners,” he said during a conference on Law 40 at Villa Brescianelli, Castiglione. “We are unprepared to handle the large number of non-EU citizens approaching our offices these days. We lack an external contact who can also help us overcome the language barrier, just to explain the procedures. I wasn’t aware of the formation of this association, but it’s important that it exists and collaborates with us from now on.”
Intervention and respect for housing needs
Referring back to Princess De Silveira’s intervention, a member of the Solidarity and Assistance Association for Immigrants, who requested the municipal administration to take concrete action regarding housing for legal immigrants, Commander Aresti closed his remarks with: “The lady is right, especially when it comes to housing.
Foreigners also come to us seeking information about public housing waiting lists: they cannot afford market-rate rents. I understand immigration—I am Sardinian—and I am familiar with the hardships of leaving one’s country and integrating into a new environment.
We cannot call these people here, because we need them in factories, and we shouldn’t worry only about providing them with a house and decent reception.”
Comments on the state of integration in Europe
Dr. Centomani, director of Villa Brescianelli, emphasized: “In addressing the social issues of foreigners, alarmism tends to dominate over attention. This is not the case elsewhere— for example, in France, where the public administration treats this issue as a matter of routine, having established institutional tools at the local level for initial reception.”
