Italian Prime Minister finally got success to get his cabinet agreed for giving residence permits to undocumented immigrants.
Italy immigration, amnesty scheme 2020
Immigrants working in the agricultural sector and home care will be able to benefit from the new scheme.
Italy’s governing coalition parties (the Democratic Party (PD), Italia Viva (IV), and the Free and Equal Party (LeU), and 5-Star Movement) have finally agreed to introduce changes to employment permits for migrants in the country. It will allow temporary work permits to be issued to migrants to work at farms and as carers.
The Minister of Agriculture “Teresa Bellanova” is very satisfied from the agreement on the regulation, as she already announced that if the amnesty had been rejected, she would have resigned.
Yes amnesty for migrants: 6-month residence permit
Undocumented immigrants will be able to get a 6-months temporary residence permit. As per the latest numbers, almost 500,000 to 600,000 illegal immigrants may benefit from this new regulation.
Who can apply for an amnesty residence permit?
Regularization of foreign workers and of the farmworkers as well as domestic helpers and caregivers will be done through new regulation. It means undocumented workers who have been working in these streams already will be able to apply for residence permits. All workers who have been identified with a photo report before 8 March 2020 will be able to access this measure. Or who can instead declare that they have resided in Italy continuously before that date?
When and how to apply?
Final dates will be confirmed in next coming days but it is said to be from 1st June to 15th July.
How much will it cost?
There are two ways application can be submitted:
- if the employer submits the application, he will have to pay 500 Euros for each worker.
- 130 Euros are to be paid for the application if it is submitted by the foreigner/applicant himself.
For which sectors, immigrants can apply for a residence permit?
- Housework
- Livestock
- Aquaculture
- Agriculture
- breeding
- Fishing
Ex prime minister Salvini signed against the amnesty scheme.
What is the amnesty scheme for residence permits?
In order to cope with the health emergency, employers who have made foreign citizens work with an expired residence permit may request their regularization. In order to cope with the stipulation of an employment contract. This measure also applies to all Italian citizens who worked illegally.
Furthermore, the request should not be brought only by the employer but there should also be that of the worker himself. The labor inspectorate will then have to examine the procedure, at a later date, it will, in fact, have to certify that in the past the worker has already carried out activities in the agricultural sector.
How the residence permit scheme will work?
It was decided to proceed in two different ways for regularization.
First method
- The first method is activated by the employer who declares those who are irregular and are already present on Italian territory and who was photographed reported by the police force in Italy before March 8 of last year.
- After various checks, the foreigner will be given a residence permit valid for the duration of the contract which can be renewed if the contract is extended or if there is a new one.
Second method
- The second route is for those who do seasonal jobs in agriculture and have lost their jobs in this phase of crisis or those whose contracts have expired.
- These people will have temporary residence permits.
Minister Bellanova asks for 6 months and her request is supported by Provenzano. Catalfo, on the other hand, is against it. Finally, it was decided to grant the 3-month residence permit.
From this regularization are excluded the recipients of expulsion orders, the condemned, and those who are considered “dangerous for the security of the state”.
Who cannot apply for the residence permit?
There are two ways an applicant cannot apply for a residence permit. In case:
Employer: Applications from employers who have been convicted in the past for favoring illegal immigration or enslavement will be excluded. Illegal intermediation and exploitation of workers or if workers will not be hired
Immigrants: Those convicted, even if not definitively, for one of the crimes foreseen by article 380 of the Criminal Code; who contributed to crimes against personal freedom, drug trafficking, exploitation of prostitution, and or finally for the facilitation of immigration or illegal emigration.