POLITICA
IMMIGRATION IS NOT A CRISIS, IT'S A PHENOMENON
Immigration has long been a major concern in Italy, but with a general election coming up on 4th March, it has fast become the central focus of the entire political campaign, with right-wing parties visibly exploiting the crisis for political gain. Leaders of the two main political groups on the right – Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini – are at the forefront of a tidal wave of anti-immigrant sentiment and xenophobic action that is dominating newspaper headlines and social media.
The handling of immigration and migrants themselves has become increasingly controversial in recent weeks, and a Fascist-inspired shooting at the beginning of February in Macerata, central Italy, was evidence that this anti-foreigner rhetoric by right-wing politicians has gradually worked its way into mainstream political discourse. Luca Traini, a failed election candidate for far-right party Lega Nord, went on a two-hour shooting rampage, specifically targeting black immigrants. Six were wounded before the gunman was arrested, giving a fascist salute as police led him away. Following the incident – the timing of which meant immigration moved even further up the political agenda – an underlying fear not only for immigrants, but for Italian society as a whole has emerged. It seems that Italy’s welcoming and tolerable culture is turning into a toxic blend of animosity and resentment, with certain members at the helm fighting to defend their ‘pure race’.
Macerata is just one area of Italy where there is a reluctance to support the integration of new arrivals into society. Immigrants in Italy are stuck in limbo; empty days spent waiting for nothing. No social inclusion means that even with a residence permit, they find themselves with no home and no work. In Rome, where the majority of the country’s 180,000 asylum seekers are based, a highly visible refugee crisis has apparently reached its peak. After requesting a ‘moratorium’ of new arrivals in summer, Virginia Raggi, the city’s mayor, has since ordered several evictions of those squatting in Rome’s abandoned buildings. The violent and coercive interventions are following recently adopted security measures and urban decorum regulations, but a complete absence of alternative housing provided means that small groups of migrants are living in increasingly hidden places, where they face dire living conditions.
A closer look at the leading right-wing parties’ political programmes reveals that Forza Italia, led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, intends to block new immigrant arrivals and deport the 600,000 who ‘don’t have the right to stay’. Lega Nord, led by Salvini, promises to initiate a programme that will force approximately 400,000 migrants, who he accuses of bringing drugs, theft and violence to Italy, back to their countries of origin. With election day looming, current polls show that a center-right coalition between Forza Italia, Lega Nord and far-
By:
Kathryn Berry
IMAGE SOURCE: IRENE GRASSI/FLICKR