Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Bonus automatic electric with social card


Monday, October 25 2010.bonus scontoIl electric power bonus from now on it will automatically to the holders of purchases, ie the so-called social card. The news today, Monday, October 25, 2010, was the Authority, Authority for Energy and Gas, in doing this so as holders of social card to qualify for the bonus power should not exhibit any specific request. Who is the cardholder purchases, in fact, it can directly receive the discount on the provision in the bill, namely the electricity bonus, without doing anything.

The social card, remember, is a measure of income support for individuals and families in need who, in accordance with the requirements, including those of income, can get a card from the State, equal in all respects to a normal credit card, which is charged with EUR 80 every two months. All this provided, in accordance with all other requirements, to have more than 65 years, or the family that requires social card must have at least one child under the age of 3 years.

The bonus is electric instead another measure of income support, and in this case on the supply of electricity to households, which are numerous and / or low income. The bonus power, but also the social card, always respecting the requirements for each measure is combined with the gas bonus, a discount on the annual domestic consumption of gas at the mains, always in favor of the neediest families.

The Energy Authority's website you can learn more about the bonus on gas and electricity bonus, as well as on the website of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Economy of Finance, is a large in-depth section on the card or purchase Social card. Application forms for the bonus for the electric and gas can be downloaded only from the website of the Authority, but also from the MS, the Ministry of Economic Development.

Immigration Dossier 2010 - 4 million 919 thousand migrants. Over half a million people born in Italy

Presented the annual report published by Caritas and Fondazione Migrantes

4 million 919 thousand foreigners, 240 thousand mixed marriages celebrated between 1996 and 2008 (almost 25 thousand last year), more than half a million people who have acquired citizenship, a total of 541,955 of which 59 thousand in 2009, more than the 570 " foreigners "born directly in Italy, almost 100 thousand each year who come from foreign parent, more than 110 thousand inputs for family reunification.

Romania still the largest community, with just under 1 million admissions (nearly 900 thousand residents), followed by Moroccans and Albanians, almost half a million, while nearly 200 thousand Chinese and Ukrainian.

Glistranieri then have about 10% of the workforce as employees, are owners of 3.5% of companies account for 11, 1% of gross domestic product (since 2008), are charged EUR 7.5 billion of contributions social security, state taxes to a tax of over 33 billion euro.

Are the numbers of immigration Dossier 2010. But some numbers that take the body daily in the reality that surrounds our cities, our neighborhoods, workplaces, the sculptor, our life. Numbers with which it's no joke. And not because they pose a risk, but because the challenge to tell a country that does not seem to want to change and to continue for 20 years (20 years now are also the life of the relationship caritas) to consider immigration as an emergency.
In short, the numbers are telling us lesigenza to build a present and a future, new, unwilling to take the easy way out of the exceptional and the stereotype.

  • The presentation of the dossier

Birth of the Dossier in the early 90s. In the month of February 1990 was approved, "Martelli law". This was the year of the first national conference on immigration, during which Mgr. Silvano Ridolfi, then director of Migrantes, as stated on behalf of the associations of Italian immigrants: "If we asked for justice and respect for the Italians, just as we do for those immigrants in our country." In 1990 the Italian Bishops' Conference approved the document "Men of different cultures: from conflict to solidarity", a theme that Msgr. 

Luigi Di Liegro, director of Caritas of Rome, is restated in the book Planet immigration was the following year, in the middle of the Gulf War, in the publication to get Islam: Muslims and Christians in the world today, removing the temptation to a religious war. As late as 1991, the "priest of immigrants" gave birth to the "Forum for Intercultural", an ambitious program to raise awareness and Statistical Dossier on Immigration. His goal was to promote a vision of easy, but not superficial, statistics on migration, based on three fundamental considerations.
  • Immigration is an opportunity for a deeper human understanding. Missing (and in some ways is still lacking) a positive view of immigration, which is treated as a hostile reality, confusing regulation with safety. At stake is a less unjust world economic order and greater friendship among peoples based on mutual appreciation.
  • Immigration should be seen in connection with the demographic and socio-economic and does not make sense to talk about cooperation in the hope that the flow ceases.
  •  The relationship between the public, on the one hand, and the voluntary sector and the socio-ecclesial, on the other, must be collaborative and not competitive, but never inferior, and should aim at including in public with the insights of the base for greater social justice in the belief that you can not give what is due to charity for the sake of justice and human dignity. Especially for the Christian requires a new way of life, because the Gospel requires acts of solidarity. This brave priest put it into account a number of problems, expecting, however, from a civilized country the ability to deal with and resolve to overcome the lack of interest and closing, overcoming the sense of fear. According to Msgr. Di Liegro, for which the charity was also, and especially politics, was not to be deluded to think so but only by enthusiasts aware of the real terms of the migration issue, according to a setting far from commonplace.

The dossier, as the first organic collection of statistics on immigration, immediately aroused great interest because it was meeting the needs of social workers, public officials, researchers and journalists. But there were negative reactions: "The Church calls the world's poor in Italy, expecting that in the future will vote according to his instructions," "Catholics are based on a providential reckless," "the good intentions of solidarity border on stupidity" . And these arguments continue today.

A service of knowledge is still needed. After two decades since the birth of the Dossier Caritas Migrantes and consider, in light of the Gospel message, which requires a renewed commitment to a fruitful partnership and they consider immigration a "sign of the times" in which shapes the lines of a profound changes taking place in Italy, Europe and throughout the world context. In these twenty years the relationship with the public was very close, but their autonomy in the socio-pastoral activity and its critical and proactive. 

The dossier is the result of a cultural project intended to promote an understanding of migration free from prejudice and opposition party, obtaining interpretive hypotheses from the same statistical sources. Increased the pages of the report, particularly appreciated for its completeness, even though there have been reactions of disappointment, as if the Catholic Church to have been leading a sort of invasion of the field. In fact this research was created to remedy a deficiency in statistical learning is not divorced from pastoral duties, structuring the mission of the church is not only a testimony of faith but also in human development and social support. Support is crucial to the network of thousands of pastoral workers, in turn connected with other social and research. 

This was the base that has allowed to enrich the debate on national and regional dimensions of migration, and to make the dossier as a product available to all. Over two decades have been distributed hundreds of thousands of copies of the report and thousands of presentations were held in all provincial reality. In early 1990, which includes the first edition of the dossier, did not go over half a million. In these 20 years the immigrant population grew by almost 20 times, reaching the threshold of 5 million, but along with the number of immigrants have also increased the closures.

Immigration and employment and economic crisis. First, to prepare negatively to the presence immigrant population are the effects of global crisis in 2009, the collapse of production (especially in manufacturing and construction) and investment, the reduction of 380 thousand jobs and the employment rate , the increase in unemployment and the unemployed (2 million and 45 thousand), the increase of internal migration in the long haul. In this context, in which estimates of recruitment from abroad has been decreasing (from 168,000 in 2008 to 89,000 in 2009 according to the survey Excelsior), has not only reduced the influx of immigrants, considered something of a cause of these ills, but many were also fired, in part forced to leave the country or slip in the irregularity. 

Instead, it is our economic system to be in trouble, unable now to resort to devaluation of the currency after the euro, to export cheap products in the world, as I am unable to make the emerging countries, and reduce the 'enormous weight of public expenditure. Meanwhile, the continuous decline in the growth of GDP: 3.8% in the 70's, 2.4% in the 80's, 1.4% in the 90's, 0.3% in the year 2000 (a very low value partly due to the decline in GDP of 6% in the period 2008-2009). In addition, the relationship between GDP and public debt, amounting to 95.2% in 1990, rose to 109.2% in 2000 and is estimated at 118.2% at the end of 2010, the highest ratio among all States States. Compared to other large European countries is stunted the modernization of our production system, which in the period 1980-2009 saw an average annual increase in productivity (Istat) by just 1, 2%. This trend has a negative effect on GDP growth and wages, and highlights the need for further technological development, dell'alleggerimento bureaucracy, greater openness to foreign direct investment (22 billion euro per year compared to 32 input output) and greater success abroad. 

It is true, for example, that the Italian construction companies derive half their revenue from abroad, which remains at the same level 10 years ago with the loss of employees and business closures. On the other hand, the mere transfer of production abroad at low cost without maintaining synergy with Italy runs the risk of selling off the Italian know-how and suffer the consequences in the medium and long term, with an unprecedented view of producing countries with few consumers and consumer countries but not producers.

The opportunities of immigration. In light of the effects of the crisis must be asked whether the immigrants who contribute to the production of gross domestic product for 11, 1% (Unioncamere estimate for 2008), whether or not the problem rather than a contribution to its solution. Several studies, including that of the Bank of Italy in July 2009, have highlighted the complementary role of migrant workers are able to promote better employment opportunities for the Italians. Since they are lacking, or to cease to grow, in the productive sectors not considered desirable by the Italians (in agriculture, construction, industry, sector and many other family services), the country would be unable to face the future. 

This is what we were reminded of March 1, 2010 the first "strike foreigners", inspired by a similar event in France, with the abstention from work and shopping and the presence in the streets to make their voices heard. In particular, immigrants are increasingly called upon to respond to the needs of families, as emerged at the last adjustment, closed in September 2009 with almost 300 thousand applications: for example in the prosperous Lombardy, in 2015, people over 65 years will be three million, one million more than in 2010, with an exponential demand for assistance. The dossier, in investigations conducted on the benefits and costs of immigration, found that immigrants pay more than the public purse take as users of performance and social services. It is almost 11 billion social security contributions and fiscal year that contributed to fiscal consolidation INPS, in the case of young workers and, therefore, still far from the age of retirement. 

They also declare to the tax over 33 billion a year. With regard to employment immigrants not only account for about 10% of total employees, but are also increasingly involved in self-employment and entrepreneurship, where they create new realities in business this time of crisis. There are about 400 thousand foreigners among business owners, directors and shareholders of companies, which must be added to their employees. In Milan, the Egyptians are more than the pizza in Naples, as there are many Chinese textile manufacturers in Carpi (Modena) and Prato, and those of tanning Arzignano (Vicenza), in this case not only Chinese but also Serbs. Every 30 entrepreneurs operating in Italy is an immigrant, mainly Moroccans, engaged in commerce, and Romanians, the most likely construction entrepreneurship.

Demographic needs and the plots between cultures. There are about 240 thousand mixed marriages celebrated between 1996 and 2008 (almost 25 thousand last year), more than half a million people who have acquired citizenship, a total of 541,955 of which 59 thousand in 2009, more than 570 "foreigners" born directly in Italy, almost 100 thousand each year who are born to foreign mother and more than 110 thousand inputs for family reunification. In an Italy struggling with a high and increasing rate of aging, where over sixty already exceed those under 15 years, immigrants are a key part of demographic balance, even a positive impact on the workforce. 

The daily contacts at work and at places of socialization (schools, associations, places of worship ...) and mixed families are making immigration an organic reality of Italian society. The community is the largest in Romania, with just under 1 million admissions (nearly 900 thousand residents), followed by Moroccans and Albanians, almost half a million, while nearly 200 thousand Chinese and Ukrainian. Taken together, these five communities covering more than half of the immigrant presence (50.7%). The Europeans are half of the total, the Africans just under a fifth and a sixth Asians, and Americans account for one tenth. Several national groups are mostly in cities such as Filipinos, Peruvians and Ecuadorians. Others, like the Indians, Moroccans and Albanians, have settled in the most common non-capital. The settlement is prevalent in the north and center, but the South is involved in the phenomenon, representing a privileged area for the inclusion of certain communities. This is the case of the Albanians in Puglia, Campania and the Ukrainians in the Tunisians in Sicily. 

Rome and Milan, respectively, with nearly 270 thousand and 200 thousand foreign residents, the municipalities are quantitatively more important but also the immigrants settle in small towns, often with high incidences of total residents. For example, compared to a national average of 7%, foreigners are 20% of residents in Porto Recanati (MC), the living sea of the Adriatic coast, as well as in Castiglione delle (MN), known not only for be home to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, patron of youth worldwide, but also the place where Herny Dunant conceived the idea of the Red Cross. In the province of Imperia, Airole applies, for an incidence of 35% of foreigners, albeit out of a population of just 493 inhabitants.

And the criminal element? In the early years, setting the dossier, knowing that immigration does not only positive aspects, has been to bring additional information concerning the involvement of foreigners in deviant activities, broken down by territory, by country and by type of crime providing some help for their reading. Recently this methodology has proven more Document not sufficient, because, with the significant increase of migration flows from the second half of the '90s, the company has strengthened the suspicion against the Moroccan first, then to the Albanians and now to the Romanians, albeit with greatly scaled tones compared to 2007-2008. Several advancements have been conducted by the editors Caritas / Migrantes:
  • for Albanians (2008) has been shown that the stigma is continued by force of inertia in the years 2000, when, stabilized flows, their importance in crime statistics was actually shrunk dramatically;
  • for the Romanians (2008 and 2010) the accusatory progression continued to be emphasized, despite the statistics continue to demonstrate their involvement smaller than the generality of immigrants;
  • for the Africans (2010), at least relative to more communities, we have seen that there are problems as to their involvement both in the organized crime that is, phenomena that deserve to be thorough in their causes and their dynamics, by introducing appropriate recovery strategies.
  • in turn, the Roma have been, are and probably will continue to be the group most discussed, and frequently beyond their specific sins, never proved, and indeed of all denied by a special investigation is the Migrantes Foundation 'charges of kidnapping the children.

But the fears and insecurity of Italians depend mainly on other factors, given that:
1. crime in Italy has increased to a lesser extent in recent decades, despite the sharp increase in foreign population, and has even declined over the years 2008 and 2009;
2. The rate of increase in complaints against foreigners is very small compared to the increase of their presence, it is unfounded (and not just the files) to establish a strict correspondence between the two phenomena: It suggests also, as regards different provinces, from the collection of statistics prepared for the territorial councils for immigration under the European Integration (2010) and, as regards the main communities of immigrants (with some exceptions), the Report on the CNEL indices of integration (2010);
3. Report of the CNEL showed that the rate of crime attributable to immigrants coming into our country from scratch, which focus more on those fears, it turned out, in the period 2005-2008, lower than that reported for the population already resident;
4. the comparison between the crime of Italians and foreigners, through a rigorous methodology based on the consideration of homogeneous age group, supported the conclusion that the Italians and foreigners in an upright position have a crime rate similar;
5. the criminal involvement of immigrants allowed to stay, no doubt, difficult to quantify and often directly linked to the same irregularity of the presence and the difficult living conditions resulting from them, must be considered with prudence and discipline in a country where every year tens enter of millions of foreigners as tourists or for other reasons. These lines of interpretation should not lead to "lower our guard," but to overcome the bias and invest more on prevention and recovery, involving the leaders of immigrant associations, as has happened in the past with positive results among the Senegalese.

Immigration and equal opportunities: an essential combination. Immigration and integration must go hand in hand. The Government has proposed a plan for integrating security, called "Identity and Meetings", which constitute the Italian model and dall'assimilazionismo away from multiculturalism. Pathways identified in this document are focused on rights and duties, responsibilities and opportunities, a vision of mutual respect, building personal and social initiatives rather than the rule and identify five areas: education and learning, language values, work and vocational training, housing and the government of the territory, access to essential services, attention to children and second generations. 

He insists, moreover, as it does in the Community, and the return on development aid, progressively reduced in Italy at a very minimal level of migration to rotational character. But, meanwhile, has been rooted in the conviction, supported by the data, that immigration is becoming an increasingly stable. We find appreciable openings with respect to public service, critical remarks with respect to what has been done in the past, the identification of lines of effort and especially the criterion that the proposals should be monitored in its practical effectiveness. In 2009, however, the National Fund for Social Inclusion has been lacking this lack of coverage and, above all in times of economic crisis, it certainly does not help integration in the face of decreased spending power of families, including immigrant . Continues to be more difficult for immigrants to access services. In Milan, an Italian citizen has signed a lease with a rom, that alone would not otherwise have been accepted by the owner. 

Among the immigrant population only 68% regularly joined the National Health Service, as stated in the Second Report of the Ministry of Interior on local councils, and this helps to explain why there are more shelters for them in a state of emergency and greater access to the emergency room. According to a study of the IFSC, grow and maintain a child costs € 9,000 a year, even for immigrant families, but, inexplicably, the foreign couples were excluded from the benefit of the baby bonus, as well as foreign heads of families have found it difficult to access other social benefits paid by local authorities. Integration and equal opportunities, then, must go hand in hand in a web of duties but also rights as outlined in government documents. We must pave the way for new citizens, not only for evangelical sensibility but also because this is the only right way to meet our future.

Irregularities and migration policy. Dossier in 2010 also known as landings and irregular, without fail to mention the problematic aspects, but also without losing reference to the data and sense of proportion. All sensible people recognize the need to control costs, avoid them from becoming the berth for the traffickers of labor and the basis for their lucrative trade (2.5 billion dollars worldwide, according to the UN). This penalty, however, must be united to respect the right of asylum and humanitarian protection, which continue to need people fleeing desperate situations and life-threatening. The contrast of the landings must not forget that the vast majority of cases the origin of the irregularity, there are legal entry into Italy, with or without a visa, tens of millions of foreigners who come for tourism, business cards and other reasons . Compared to these massive flows, and can not be eliminated even reached the peak of landings in 2008 (almost 37 thousand people) is slight. 

Be ineffective control of the sea coasts, as well as those of air and ground, if you will encourage regular migration routes. It is not disputed the need for rules but their functionality. This leads us to rethink the flexibility in an innovative way of allowances, the procedures of contact between employer and employee, the time made available for finding a new job (which could be extended considering the period of wage or unemployment compensation). In fact, it is dysfunctional to force workers to go away already well integrated and able to find a job after the crisis, or force them to actually increase the area of irregular employment (12.2% of the total, according to the 'Istat). Let, therefore, perplexing to note that several local governments have allocated funds for their removal, moreover, with little effect, as seen in Spain.

It seems, however, desirable to extend the assisted repatriation of irregular migrants, as recommended by the European Commission itself, turning back those who had no outlet or success in immigration as a positive investment for the countries of origin. Following a realistic perspective, Eurostat said that the mirage of a "zero immigration" in a half-century Italy would lose one-sixth of its population. Therefore, if immigration is functional development of the country, the political agenda is asked to reflect on the most challenging regulatory issues, such as those relating to citizenship and the need for participation of these new citizens, particularly those born in Italy. This is the way most successful from all points of view, economic and employment no less than cultural and religious. And that is why the Dossier 2010 puts all the question: if you miss, in fact, the culture of the other?

  • REFERENCES IN 2009 Key Statistics

The basic numbers immigration. In early 2010, ISTAT reported 235mila and 4 million foreign residents, but according to the estimate of the dossier, including all persons living legally, even if not yet listed in the registry, you get to 4 million and 919mila (1 immigrant every 12 residents). The increase in residents was about 3 million units over the last decade, during which the foreign presence has almost tripled, and nearly 1 million in the last two years. Meanwhile, however, thanks to the recession, have also increased negative reactions. Italians seem far away, in their perception by an appropriate classification of this reality. In the search for Transatlantic Trends (2009) on average, respondents felt that immigrants account for 23% of the resident population (about 15 million would then be three times more than their actual consistency) and that the "illegals" are more numerous than migrants (while the estimates credited with a number around half a million). 

This distorted perception is affected by many factors, including even political affiliation. Lombardy is home to a fifth of foreign residents (982,225, 23.2%). Just over one-tenth live in Lazio (497,940, 11.8%), whose level is almost reached by two other major regions of immigration (480,616 Veneto, 11.3%) and Emilia Romagna (461,321, 10.9%) , while the Piedmont and Tuscany are a bit 'below (respectively 377,241, 338,746 and 8.9%, 8.0%). Rome, which has long been the province with the largest number of immigrants, it loses the record to Milan (405,657 compared to 407,191). The average impact on the resident population is 7%, but in Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Umbria you go over 10% in some provinces and also over 12% (Brescia, Mantova, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia). Women have an impact on average 51.3%, with a peak of 58.3% and 63.5% in Campania in Oristano, and lowest in Lombardy (48.7%) and Ragusa (41.5% ). The new born to two foreign parents in 2009 are 77,148 (21 thousand in Lombardy, 10 thousand in the Veneto and Emilia Romagna, Piedmont and Lazio 7 thousand, 6 thousand in Tuscany, at least a thousand in all other Italian regions, except for Molise, Basilicata, Calabria and Sardinia. 

These births account for 13% of all births and more than 20% in Emilia Romagna and Veneto. If you add 17,000 more born to foreign mother and Italian father, the ' impact on total births in Italy reaches 16.5%. The number would be even higher if we include the children of foreign father and Italian mother, as prevalent among mixed couples being those in which the woman is of immigrant origin (in 2008 there were 23,970 children born of mixed marriages in Italy, 8 out of 10 Italian and foreign mothers from fathers). Diversity is also the incidence of children in all, nearly one million (932,675) from the average of 22% (between total population, the percentage drops to 16.9%) we arrive at 24.5% to 24.3% in Lombardy and Veneto, while the value is lower in several central and southern regions, particularly in the Lazio and Campania ( 17.4%) and Sardinia (17%). 

More than one-eighth of foreign residents (572,720, 13%) is the second generation, most children born in Italy, against whom the adjective "foreign" is entirely inappropriate, as Italians united from the place of birth, residence, language, education system and the path to socialization. Unlike other aspects of the closure, the Italians seem to be more willing to grant citizenship to those born even in Italy to foreign parents. The children of immigrants enrolled in school are 673,592 and account for 7.5% of the school population. 

The data reveal a delay school three times higher than the Italians, stressing the need to deploy more resources for their inclusion in case come for family reunification. In 2009, the special committee has surveyed 6,587 unaccompanied minors, of which 533 asylum seekers from 77 countries (Morocco 15%, Egypt 14%, Albanian 11%, Afghanistan 11%), predominantly male (90%) and aged between 15 and 17 years (88%). Among them are no longer included the Romanians (at least one third of the total), which are in the Community borne by the municipal services. Not always, to the achievement of 18 years, provided the conditions at present (3 years and spent 2 years of inclusion in a training course) help to ensure them a residence permit.

The economic aspects of immigration. The development of the Italian immigrants provide a significant contribution: they are about 10% of the workforce as employees, are owners of 3.5% of companies account for 11, 1% of gross domestic product (as of 2008 ), are charged EUR 7.5 billion in social security contributions, state taxes to a tax of over 33 billion euro.

Fini: Job search permit should be valid for one year

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini has said he would be ready to revise the Bossi-Fini Immigration Law by only amending one thing - the time limit given to an immigrant who loses his job to find another one before being asked to leave Italy.

Under the Bossi-Fini Immigration Law, an immigrant who loses his job can apply for a job search permit which is valid for six months. If the permit expires before the holder finds a new job, he is forced to leave the country.

Mr. Fini said he would amend the law to allow an immigrant who loses his job a grace of period of at least one year to find another job.

The principle that inspired the Bossi-Fini Law - that an immigrant who comes to Italy must have a job, is still valid, Mr. Fini said.

He said that one of the strongest aspects of the Bossi-Fini Law is the possibility of fighting irregular work, if there is a commitment to do so.


Government approves "integration agreement"


The Government has approved the measure to govern the “integration agreement” (accordo di integrazione) which if introduced, will oblige all new immigrants in Italy to meet certain conditions if they want to remain in the country.

This measure will be used to implement the so-called Point-based Permit of Stay system.

The measure says that immigrants aged between 16 and 65 will be required to undersign the integration agreement either at the Immigrations Office at the Prefecture or at the Provincial Police Headquarters. The rule will not be retroactive, that is, it will not be applied to those already in the country by the time of its introduction. It will only be applied to those who will enter Italy when it’s already in force, if they’ll apply for the Permit of Stay valid for at least one year.

By undersigning the integration agreement, one makes a commitment to acquire within two years, knowledge of Italian language (slightly higher than basic level), and sufficient knowledge of the fundamental principles of the Italian Constitution and public institutions, especially those regarding healthcare, education, social services, work and fiscal duties.

The one undersigning the integration agreement also makes a commitment to enrol his/her children (where applicable) for obligatory education in addition to declaring that he/she subscribes to the Charter of Values of Citizenship and Integration (Carta dei valori della cittadinanza e dell'integrazione) prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Within a month of undersigning the agreement, the immigrant will be required to attend a short and free civic education course which will last between five and ten hours.

During the obligatory civic education course, the immigrant will be informed of other initiatives in the province aimed at supporting the integration process.

Points obtained from the civic education course, language course and other courses, together with the immigrant’s educational qualifications will be used to judge the level of integration.
Each immigrant will be automatically awarded 16 points which will either be increased or decreased depending on the person’s behaviour.

Here are some examples: Knowledge of basic Italian language will earn one 24 points; taking a professional course for 120 hours will earn one 5 points, while creating a business and taking part in a voluntary activity will earn one 4 points each.

The following will also make immigrants obtain points: enrolment with social and health services, choice of personal doctor, regular rental contract or mortgage to buy an apartment, winning public awards, etc.

Whoever commits a crime and is given at least three months prison sentence, even if it’s not definitive, will lose 10 points, while 2 points will be lost by those who are given an administrative fine of at least 10,000 Euros.

Two years after undersigning the agreement, the Immigrations Office will examine the documents submitted by the immigrant (certificates of courses attended, educational qualifications, etc). Without such documents, the Immigrations Office will make the immigrant sit for a test.

In order to pass the integration test, an immigrant must obtain at least 30 points. Whoever obtains from zero to 29 points will be asked to go and do whatever is required to obtain at least 30 points within a year. If one doesn’t obtain any points (zero) or loses all the points, he/she will be expelled from the country.

Ministry of Home Affairs will create a register of all immigrants who have undersigned the integration agreement, indicating the points they’ve obtained. Any changes to the points will be communicated to the concerned persons who will also have access to the register to check their points.

It is not yet known when the new rule will enter into force. Now that the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the measure, it will be taken to the Joint State Council for approval. From there it will return to the Cabinet of Ministers for final approval before being finally published in the Official Gazette.

If the measure remains as it is, it will enter into force four months after its publication in the Official Gazette.