24/04/2002

Italian pensioners oppose immigration law

ROME, April 23: Raising angry fists towards parliament, hundreds of Italian pensioners who depend on migrant labour for domestic help protested on Tuesday against planned tough new immigration laws.

"I had a Romanian boy, Nicolai, who helped me clean and tidy up but because he was illegal, they sent him away," explained 78-year-old Luigi Follica between bouts of chanting "Come down here! You'll be old too one day!" at the ministers inside.

Italy's parliament is currently considering tough new immigration legislation drawn up by hardline Reforms Minister Umberto Bossi and Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini.

The proposals would tighten policing against illegal immigrants, make it easier to throw out those already illegally in the country and allow immigrants in only for specific work. The opposition has proposed over 100 amendments to the bill.

As well as strong opposition in parliament, however, the bill is drawing fire from Italy's growing number of pensioners. They depend on migrant labor to help them - whether it's cleaning or doing the shopping - work Italians either don't want to do or will only do at rates pensioners can't afford.

"We have calculated that some 200,000 Italian families would be in difficulty if this law goes through," said Mario Marazziti of Catholic peace organisation Sant'Egidio.

"The government says its main aim with this bill is security - but we also want immigrants in the country legally," he said. According to Sant'Egidio, some 22 percent of old people over 80 years old employ immigrants as home helps.

Marazziti said the bill as it stands would abolish a sponsorship system by which an immigrant can be legalized by being presented to the authorities by a prospective employer.

Abolishing the rule will drive immigrants underground, Sant'Egidio argues, undermining the legislation's goals.

MIGRATION CRACKDOWN: "This new law is too tough," said Christian Job, 36, a Guinean who came to Italy eight months ago and who was also demonstrrating in front of parliament "We came here because we wanted help from our European brothers... We want to be integrated, to work legally."

Immigration is a sensitive topic in Italy, where tens of thousands of people land on the long coastline every year from Eastern Europe, Asia and North Africa.

Surveys show Italians fear excessive immigration, and link illegal immigrants with crime, a connection that political parties like Bossi's Northern League have played up. In the wake of far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen's success in the first round of France's presidential election this week, the issue of illegal immigration and crime - which he campaigned on heavily - has generated added importance.

Italy's immigration bill, which the government, fearing a fresh wave of migration, is keen to get through parliament, has already been criticized by the United Nations' refugee agency for failing to meet international standards on asylum.

After talks with the agency, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi promised the law would take into account its concerns. But now the prime minister may also have the concerns of Italy's large and growing population of elderly people to take into account.

"I am 89 years old, I live by myself. How am I supposed to cope?" said Guglielmina Macetta, eyes flashing despite her years. "Today it is us who are old but tomorrow it will be you."-Reuters