The Government has so far received 411,117 applications for authorisation to work (nulla osta) for non-seasonal foreign workers. Here’s the breakdown:

- 337,814 applications for authorisation to work from employers of workers from the countries with reserved quotas. Out of these, 238,722 are for domestic workers while the remaining 99,092 are for subordinate workers. There were only 52,080 quotas for workers in this category.

 - 65,375 applications for authorisation to work from employers of domestic workers from the countries without reserved quotas. Out of these, 57,399 are for housekeepers – colf while 7,976 are for caregivers – badanti. There were only 30,000 quotas for workers in this category.

- 7,928 applications from other categories of workers authorized by the Quota Agreement (Decreto flussi) 2010. They include employers of workers who underwent training and formation organized by Italian institutions in their home countries; employers of descendants of Italians in Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela and Brazil who are enrolled at the Italian Consulates in their home countries; and applications for conversion of student to work permits. There were 16.000 quotas for this category.

The second general strike of foreigners in Italy is taking place today.

The strike titled “A day without us” has been organised by a movement called “1st March 2011”.

Numerous activities will be held today throughout the country. 

The strike takes place in different forms including abstention from work; shopping strike; demos in Squares; meetings to discuss the issues affecting immigrants, etc.

Since yellow is the official colour of the movement, public squares will be filled with people wearing yellow T-shirts, headscarves, flags, etc.

Today’s strike aims at fighting the Bossi-Fini Immigration Law and institutional racism.

Ms. Cécile Kyenge Kashetu, spokesperson of “1st March 2011” movement, said that the Bossi-Fini Immigration Law makes immigrants vulnerable to blackmail, favours their exploitation, racism and division.

Different trade unions including FIOM and USI have backed the initiative and will protect workers who go on strike today.

The strike calls for recognition and appreciation of the daily toil of foreigners who are committed to work in Italy and for the country, often under very harsh conditions. Most often their basic human rights are violated.

The centre right coalition Government in Italy is not handling immigration properly, Mr. Massimo D'Alema, MP of the Democratic Party has said.

The former prime minister said that the number of illegal immigrants has increased since the centre right coalition came to power.

Europe needs immigrants, Mr. D'Alema said, citing figures showing that in the next 20 years Europe will need 30 million immigrants.

If the immigrants were to go away, it would be impossible to pay pension because their social contributions are supporting the National Social Security Institute (Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale, INPS) in a great way, he said.

We therefore need immigrants, Mr. D'Alema said, adding that there is need of properly managing immigration which brings with it cultural and social challenges.

New hope those whose applications were rejected

Having been convicted for illegal immigration to Italy is not an obstacle to being regularized as a domestic worker, the Council of State has ruled.

The Council of State made the ruling in the case of a foreigner whose application for regularization was rejected by the local Prefect because he had been convicted for illegal immigration. The same decision was upheld by the Regional Administrative Tribunal of Emilia Romagna.

The foreigner applied to be regularized as a domestic worker when the Government introduced the measure to regularize illegal domestic workers in Italy in 2009.

Last week, Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni confirmed that at least 30,000 applications for regularisation had been rejected for the same reason.

Now that the Council of State has ruled that having been convicted for illegal immigration is not an obstacle to being regularized, all the Regional Administrative Tribunals will be obliged to accept all the appeals by those who were denied a chance of regularising their stay in the country.

Lawyer Andrea Maestri termed the ruling “historical” saying it will have substantial effects on the entire legal system.