The Call Centre of Ministry of Home Affairs providing information about citizenship is being closed today.

For five years, the operators have been answering questions about the procedure and requirements for applying for Italian citizenship. They’ve also been helping applicants check the status of their applications.

From 1st January 2011, the only way of finding out the status of one’s application for citizenship will be the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

All applicants will be required to log on to https://cittadinanza.interno.it/sicitt/index2.jsp and register in order to have a username (email address) and password to be used in accessing the system.

The username and password must be used each time one wants to find out the status of his/her citizenship application.

Those who are computer illiterate can seek help from family members, friends, and Benevolent Institutions (Patronati).

It is estimated that about 70,000 applications for citizenship are submitted every year.

Last week 42 non-EU irregular migrants were deported from Italy using different charter flights, Ministry of Home Affairs has said.

They were mainly Tunisians, Moroccans and Algerians.

Swing: "Economic growth equals human and social development and security"

Governments have been advised to open their eyes to the benefits of migration and share that vision with the public at large.

In a message to mark the International Migrants Day, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that often the positive contributions migrants make to society are called into question as many governments adopt short-sighted attitudes, presenting them as a burden to convalescing economies or a drain on the welfare state.

Yet, evidence of migrants' contributions abound. A study published in early 2010 by University College London showed that newcomers from Eastern Europe paid 37 percent more in taxes than they received in benefits and from public services in 2008-09.

Many more migrants helped to provide critical public services as doctors, nurses or cleaners in the National Health Service. Another recent piece of research highlighted the positive entrepreneurial impact immigrant communities have on the British economy. 

In the United States, native-born Americans gain an estimated $ 37 billion a year from immigrants' participation in the US economy, according to the President's Council of Economic Advisers. More than one in 10 self-employed business people in the US is an immigrant.  

"Despite the evidence, few issues still elicit stronger reaction than that of migration. From the floors of parliaments to city streets to discussions around dinner tables, there are heated debates about migrants' impact on national identity, security, employment, health and social welfare systems - all those things that make up the fabric of a society," said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing. "Unfortunately, many of these discussions are based on emotions and myths and not on social and economic reality. Migration now and in the future will be driven by global economic, social and demographic trends that can no longer be ignored."
 
According to IOM's recently launched World Migration Report, international migrants could number 405 million by 2050 if migration continues to grow at the same pace as during the last 20 years.

One of the reasons for this steep rise will be the population decline in the world's industrialized countries, an expected drop of nearly 25 percent by 2050. This will significantly increase the demand for migrant workers at a time when the labour force in developing countries will increase from 2.4 billion in 2005 to 3.6 billion in 2040.

In many countries, migrant workers at all skills levels will be needed for knowledge and innovation as well as for jobs that nationals cannot or do not want to fill. These include health care, looking after children and the elderly, public services, the service industry as well as agriculture and construction.

The World Bank estimates that if countries with declining populations allowed their workforce to grow by only 3 percent by letting in an extra 14 million migrant workers between 2001 and 2025, the world would be $356 billion a year better off - with the majority of these funds flowing to developing countries.

"These numbers aren't just about economics. They need to be placed in a human context too. Economic growth equals human and social development and security," explained Swing. "In many parts of the world, migrants' remittances have already done much to lift communities from extreme poverty, put food on the table, given families a home and children an education. All these things mean a better future for them and as a result, for the rest of the world too."
 
Migration is here to stay and governments have to choose between adopting a "high road" or a "low road" scenario to manage migration, IOM said.

The "low road scenario" is one of status quo based on stereotypes, fear, and short-term political expediency. It is characterized by restrictive migration policies and the paucity of dialogue on migration, at national, regional and international levels.  

At the opposite end of the policy spectrum, a "high road" scenario would heighten recognition of migration as an integral part of the global economy and of migrants as vital constituents to any full recovery from the current economic crisis. It would implement policies that better meet increasing demands for labour migration, protect the rights of migrants, promote regular dialogue between countries of origin and destination and highlight the economic and social contribution of migrants both in home and host countries.   
 
"The challenge is to find humane and equitable solutions that reconcile people's desire to migrate with the national sovereignty of States on population movements. Cooperation is not only essential to ensure the rights of migrants are respected but also to migrants respecting the culture and laws of host countries," Swing concluded.

It's just a matter of time before the new Quota Agreement (Decreto flussi) is published. This is a document the Government normally publishes establishing the number of foreigners who can come to Italy for work.

The document was signed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on 30th November and will only become effective once it is published on the Official Gazette.

The new Quota Agreement will open Italy’s borders to about 100,000 non-EU foreign workers. Here’s the breakdown of the quotas created the by the new Quota Agreement:

52,080 quotas reserved for subordinate workers in all sectors, who are citizens of countries that have signed bilateral agreements with Italy to fight irregular immigration. The breakdown of these 52,000 quotas is as follows: Albania (4,500); Algeria (1,000); Bangladesh (2,400); Egypt (8,000); Philippines  (4,000); Ghana (2,000); Morocco (4,500); Moldavia (5,200); Nigeria (1,500); Pakistan (1,000); Senegal (2,000); Somalia (80); Sri Lanka (3,500); Tunisia (4,000); India (1,800); Peru (1800); Ukraine (1,800); Niger (1,000); Gambia (1,000); and the remaining 1,000 quotas reserved for workers from other non-EU countries that will sign bilateral agreements with Italy to fight irregular immigration.

30,000 quotas reserved for domestic workers (housekeepers - colf and caregivers – badanti) from all countries that have not signed bilateral agreements with Italy to fight irregular immigration.

4,000 quotas reserved for workers who underwent training and formation organized by Italian institutions in their home countries.

500 quotas reserved for descendants of Italians in Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela and Brazil who are enrolled at the Italian Consulates in their home countries.

3,000 quotas reserved for conversion of student permits to subordinate work permits.

3,000 quotas reserved for conversion of apprentice permits to subordinate work permits.

4,000 quotas reserved for conversion of seasonal work permits to subordinate work permits.

1,000 quotas reserved for conversion of EC long-term residence permits issued by other EU Member States to subordinate work permits.

500 quotas reserved for conversion of EC long-term residence permits issued by other EU Member States to self-employment work permits.

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Decreto flussi to be published soon