This is inaccurate, I’ll try to frame the situation on migrants/asylum in Italy. Here asylum seekers aren’t allowed to work until their request for asylum is accepted. It’s a very long process because there are thousands of people arriving on the coasts of Italy monthly. Migrants who request the status of refugee present their case and their life story with a cultural/linguistic mediator in an interview in front of a commitee. International law about asylum is quite tricky and since we’re in a state of emergency with arrivals, there is a “hierarchy” so usually Syrians and Eritreans have more chances to obtain protection. While they are waiting for their request to be accepted, refugees live in centres where they are given food, shelter and a small allowance. As I said, they aren’t allowed to work until they reach a legal status of refugee and it can be discouraging and dehumanizing to live waiting for an interview that decides your future. Some refugees try to get out of this helpless situation but often end up being exploited by mafia for labor in farms(!!!) Many of these centres are in small towns and in some occasions asylum seekers have decided to actively help the community that host them, for example during the very recent earthquakes. (https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/earthquake-italy-refugees-migrants-help/). A member of the cabinet proposed community work for asylum seekers waiting for their request to be accepted and those who have a diploma and qualifications will get internships with firms. 1. This is still a proposal that may or may not be implemented 2.They are not trading work for the right to asylum, that would be morally inacceptable and illegal.
Italy’s management of the situation with refugees/migrants of the last years is FAR from perfect.There are a lot of problems and lots of issues that I’m very critical of, for example the sketchy situation in some centres but slavery 2.0 is not one of them. Italy can and must definitely improve, but it should be considered that most of the other EU countries with whom we share a common policy do very little while Italy has had to deal with a phenomenon of this proportion on its own for a few years now.
In addition to the really good commentary, how about Americans on tumblr dot com stop comparing everything happening in Europe to what happened in the us (namely: slavery) when they have no fucking idea of how things work here thankyouverymuch
ANYWAY!!!
1) ITALY HAS BEEN ACTIVELY RESCUING REFUGEES FOR THE LAST DECADE, ON OUR OWN DIME, WAY BEFORE IT WAS COOL FOR THE EU TO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT, NOT NOT MENTION FUNDING. AND I REPEAT: ‘RESCUING’, NOT JUST HOSTING. SENDING THE COAST GUARD OUT AT SEA TO FERRY REFUGEES TO SHORE BEFORE THEY CAN, Y’KNOW, DROWN. BECAUSE WE WANT THAT SLAVE LABOUR SO BAD.
2) SOUTHERN ITALY, WHERE REFUGEES LAND, IT’S NOT EXACTLY THE RICHEST REGION IN EUROPE. I’M PUTTING THIS FOR CLARIFICATION BECAUSE I DOUBT OP COULD FIND IT ON A MAP IF IT WEREN’T SHAPED LIKE A BOOT.
3) THE ITALIAN ASYLUM SYSTEM IS SADLY FLAWED (VARYING GREATLY FROM REGION TO REGION AND REFUGEE CENTRE TO CENTRE) BUT CONSIDERING THE
ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF STRESS IT’S BEEN UNDER FOR THE PAST 10+ YEARS IT’S DOING PRETTY WELL. IT’S ALSO, DARE I SAY IT? DONE QUITE A BIT OF GOOD FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THOSE YEARS.
4) SO YES IT CAN BE BETTER. NO IT’S NOT FUCKING SLAVERY. Y’ALL ARE ON THE INTERNET. USE IT.
5) ITALIANS BLOG ABOUT THIS. IN ENGLISH. QUITE A LOT!! BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN A POST MADE ON ITALIAN TUMBLR GET MORE THAN 500 NOTES. I’VE SEEN PLENTY OF INACCURATE POSTS ABOUT ITALY MADE BY NON-ITALIANS GET TENS OF THOUSANDS.
6) MAYBE!!! NEXT TIME!! TRY RESARCHING STUFF FOR .5 SECONDS OR ASKING PEOPLE WHO MAY KNOW MORE BEFORE MAKING THIS KIND OF INFLAMMATORY POSTS!!!!
THANK YOU.
5) ITALIANS BLOG ABOUT THIS. IN ENGLISH. QUITE A LOT!! BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN A POST MADE ON ITALIAN TUMBLR GET MORE THAN 500 NOTES. I’VE SEEN PLENTY OF INACCURATE POSTS ABOUT ITALY MADE BY NON-ITALIANS GET TENS OF THOUSANDS.
katies backup blog 