A cabinet meeting on Wednesday gave
the green light to a decree regulating the legal entry of
foreign workers.
Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano said the measure was
aimed at "simplifying procedures," and cutting down the time
required for permits while giving "certain rules that are more
difficult to break", speaking at a press conference after the
meeting.
In general, the cabinet undersecretary said the decree
introduces more so-called 'click days', according to the
category of workers, in order to simplify online applications
under the country's quota system.
Specifically, an additional quota of 10,000 employees will be
admitted into the country specifically to work as carers and
domestic workers, as an experimental measure for 20205, with a
particular focus on care for the elderly and the disabled, he
explained.
Bureaucratic procedures will also be simplified for employers of
foreign workers with two specific click days organized in 2025
to deal with the lack of manpower in the tourism sector.
For the summer season, the click day will he held in February
for 70% of quotas while the click day for the winter season will
be in October for the remaining 30%.
New measures in the decree also include a 60-day time period to
enable foreign seasonal workers to find a new job without the
risk of expulsion.
In addition, a seasonal contract can be converted into a
short-term or permanent contract, said Mantovano.
During a press conference, Mantovano also said that a measure in
the decree granting security forces the possibility of checking
a migrant's cell phone is aimed at "guaranteeing the
identification of migrants or at least their geographical
origin", without the possibility of accessing messages or "any
form of communication".
The measure also provides for the presence of a cultural
mediator during the procedure and the "inspection must be
authorized by judicial authorities", he said.
Overall, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said
the decree is aimed at opening the country to "regular
migration" while fighting illegal entries.
Illustrating the details of the decree, Tajani mentioned the
"obligation to provide digital prints for foreigners requesting
a national visa", which is today only required for Schengen
visas.
The foreign minister also mentioned "the elimination of the
obligation for consulates to inform a potential migrant that
their visa request has been rejected" and more stringent
background checks for the release of a visa for citizens of
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where irregularities have
been most significant, he said.
These countries, explained Tajani, are still included in the
migrant flow decree but the release of working visas will be
suspended to allow more in-depth controls in Italy and the list
of countries can be modified through a decree issued by the
foreign minister.
And Labour Minister Marina Calderone also said the decree puts
in place a system granting additional protection to foreign
workers who report to authorities gangmasters exploiting them on
the job with a "special residence permit that initially lasts
six months, which can be renewed for an additional year and
more".
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