Polverini rejects immigration-crime relationship
Saturday, 06 February 2010 10:02 | 
Training is an important instrument for integration of immigrants
Attempts to link immigration to organized crime have been rejected by Renata Polverini, a candidate for the Presidency of Lazio Region.
“It is necessary to clearly distinguish between immigrants who arrive in our country with intention of work and integration and those who instead take different directions,” Ms. Polverini said.
“We must welcome and integrate all who come to our country to look for what we Italians went to look for elsewhere not decades ago. We were an emigrant country and we must today, in the same way, allow those who need us to undergo a healthy integration process,” she said.
The centre-right candidate said that training is an important instrument for integration of immigrants. In Lazio, she said, there are many sectors such as construction, agriculture, tourism, which are important job providers for immigrants.
She said she’s holding meetings with key players in those sectors in order to be able to establish training opportunities which can facilitate integration while at the same time ensuring provision of high quality services.
Ms. Polverini said there is need for social meeting places not only for Italians but also for foreigners.