Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Les politiques relatives aux migrants irréguliers. Volume 1: Italie et Allemagne

Translated title of the contribution: [Autom. eng. transl.] Policies relating to irregular migrants. Volume 1: Italy and Germany

Research output: Book/Report › Book

Abstract

In its first section devoted to Italy, this report examines the emersion process of “undocumented” migrants’ irregular labour provided for by Law No. 189 of 30 July 2002, Law Decree No. 195 of 9 September 2002, which with some amendments became Law No. 195 of 9 October 2002 on “Urgent provisions concerning non-EU migrants’ irregular labour legalisation”. The so-called great regularisation of 2002 led to the emergence of about 650,000 individual positions, slightly fewer than the total number of positions that had been held by migrants and regularised through the different amnesty laws in Italy between 1986 and 1998. Thanks to effective organisation, the creation of poly-functional counters for all operations allowed co-ordination among the relevant authorities and, particularly in some areas, harmonious co-operation between public institutions and organisations of civil society, it was possible to process more than 700,000 regularisation applications within little more than one year, as well as cope with several doubtful cases and expand the number of beneficiaries beyond the case typologies the legislator had originally defined. Over the two years after the submission of all applications, only 1.7% of the regularised migrants lost their regular status because they could not obtain an extension of their residence permit, just 8% were jobless and “only” 11.8% were irregularly employed. The positive results of this regularisation in terms of emergence from illegality and the recovery of tax and contributions are therefore undeniable. Where this particular regularisation, like previous programmes and similar schemes in other countries, missed the target was in its ability to make a meaningful difference to the flow of incoming migrants. As of 1 July 2005, according to the estimates, the number of irregular migrants was already over half a million and it continues to show an irreversible, growing trend, waiting for a new mass-regularisation provision. On the other hand, though irregularity has a negative effect on migrants’ employment capacity and on their ability to put their human capital to good use, it does not prevent them from finding a job. Among illegal and irregular migrants, even those with relatively short average migration seniority, three quarters of them have managed to find a job, which in most cases is a steady occupation. But the result has been to strengthen in people’s minds the idea of Italy as a country where it is possible to enter, live and work in defiance of any law. The fight against the shadow economy must therefore become an absolute priority, and should make us aware of the consequences that foreigners’ irregular employment has, particularly in the weakest regions most exposed to unemployment, on the functioning of local labour markets, since it represents a threat not only to interethnic co-existence, but also to the very solidity of social cohesion.
Translated title of the contribution[Autom. eng. transl.] Policies relating to irregular migrants. Volume 1: Italy and Germany
Original languageFrench
PublisherLes éditions du Conseil de l'Europe
Number of pages117
ISBN (Print)978-92-871-6396-7
Publication statusPublished - 2008

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  2. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Keywords

  • labour market
  • mercato del lavoro
  • migration policies
  • politiche migratorie

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '[Autom. eng. transl.] Policies relating to irregular migrants. Volume 1: Italy and Germany'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this