Italy's future without immigrants inconceivable

Five million immigrants live legally in the country, producing 11% of GDP

With five million regular immigrants in Italy, the country should seriously think of ways of making best use of these resources without considering them a problem.

While a previous report by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) revealed that at the beginning of 2010, there were 4,2 million immigrant residents in the country, the latest Statistical Dossier on Immigration published by Caritas/Migrantes shows that the actual number is 4,9 million, taking into consideration all regular immigrants who have not yet registered with the Registry Offices of the City Councils.

According to the Dossier, Romanians continue to be the biggest immigrant community in the country with a population of 890,000 residents, representing 21% of the immigrant population. Albanians come second with 470,000 residents (11%), followed by Moroccans with 430,000 residents (10,2%).

The other big communities are the Chinese with 190,000 residents (4,4%) and Ukrainians with 170,000 residents (4,1%).

Lombardy is the Region hosting the highest number of immigrant residents (982,225, representing 23,2%), followed by Lazio (497,940, 11,8%). Veneto comes third with 480,616 residents (11,3%) while Emilia Romagna is fourth with 461,321 residents (10,9%).

There are almost a million foreign minor children in Italy, more than half born in the country. Some 670,000 foreign minor children go to Italian schools, representing 7,5% of the total pupil population. These figures show the need of changing the rules to grant citizenship to minor children born and living in the country.

When it comes to work, it emerges that 10% of employees are immigrants while 3,5% of immigrants own firms. The Dossier shows that firms created by immigrants provide employment to both Italians and immigrants. By May this year, they owned 213,267 firms.

It emerges very clearly that immigrants contribute a great deal to the country’s economic growth. While they are only 7% of the national population, immigrants produce 11% of Italy’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The Dossier reveals that the social security contributions and taxes immigrants pay amount to 11 billion Euros every year, yet the services they receive in return amount to 10 billion Euros.

And that’s not all. Immigrant workers make a great contribution to the social security institutions, especially to the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS). Their contributions have in fact helped INPS to keep its accounts in order. Without immigrants, the Italian pension system would face serious problems. Every year, immigrants contribute 7,5 billion Euros to INPS yet very few have reached pension age. Most immigrants in Italy are quite young, with only 2,2% over 65 years old.

Financial crisis, the Dossier shows, has seriously affected immigrant workers. Between 2008 and 2009, the percentage of jobless immigrants rose from 8,5% to 11,2%.

The Dossier challenges Italians to change the way they view immigrants. It asks if immigrants who contribute 11% of the GDP should continue to be seen as a problem or part of the solution to the country’s problems.

Without immigrant workers, sectors such as agriculture, construction, industry, family care, and many others no longer attractive to Italians would go on tilt.

Last year, the Transatlantic Trends Immigration survey revealed that 50% of Europeans and 54% of Americans described immigration as “more of a problem”. The Dossier asks: can the people needed be considered a problem?

Mr. Franco Pittau, coordinator of the Statistical Dossier on Immigration says the future of Italy without immigrant workers is inconceivable, adding that the country needs immigrant workers. He says their research revealed that immigrants are not competing for the same jobs with Italians. Four out of 10 immigrants do jobs they are overqualified for, usually working at odd hours (in the evenings, at night or on Sundays), but they earn less than Italians, Mr. Pittau says. The average monthly salary of an immigrant is 971 Euros, which is 23% less than that of an Italian.

The latest figures about immigrants in Italy should trigger a serious reflection about their place in the society. “Every day 70 Italians marry foreign citizens, 163 foreigners become Italian citizens, 211 babies are born of immigrant parents, one out of 14 residents is an immigrant, and one out of ten jobless people is an immigrant,” Mr. Pittau says.

He says there is need of rectifying the wrong and partial information about immigrants, while at the same time urging Italians to overcome prejudices against immigrants. The country needs a new mentality, Mr. Pittau says.

He calls for effective integration policies, adding that integration of immigrants requires increased resources. Above all, Mr. Pittau says, integration requires openness towards immigrants, with knowledge that they are indispensable in sustaining Italy’s demographic growth.

The Dossier shows that immigrants could do more to support the development of Italy but the country’s rigid laws make it difficult for them to do so. The difficulty in obtaining a stable permit blocks their access to loans and mortgages, and limits their freedom of movement especially to other EU countries.

The six month period given to immigrants who become jobless to find another job before losing their right to live legally in the country is too short especially in this period of crisis, the Dossier shows.

Mr. Pittau advises immigrants not to isolate themselves but to actively participate in the life of the host society, to respect its rules and share in its objectives. Immigrants also have a right to be welcomed, respected and valued, he says.

We have a permit issued by another state can I work in Italy?

I am a foreign national with a residence permit for EC long-term residents issued by another state. Can I come and work in Italy?

Rome October 19, 2010 - The owner of a residence permit for EC long-term residents issued by another EU member state, valid, can work and reside in Italy for a period longer than three months, be employed or self-employed, and also to attend courses of study or vocational training.

Foreigners can also stay for other lawful purposes provided, however, proving to be in possession of means of subsistence, not occasional, amounting to more than double the minimum required by law for exemption from health costs and a health insurance program for the period lounge, open to 17,000.00 euro.

Of course if you want to perform a job that is subject to self-type must always be able to fill in the form Ls registered request for permission to OSS in this case is independent from the requirement of actual residence abroad.

The alien is then issued a new permit based on the activity carried on, and when mature the requirements may also obtain a residence permit in Italy long-term, in this case a Member State which had left the previous EC notified that the permit is issued.

The police must then issue a temporary residence permit renewable withdraw without permission CE already owned, simply informed the national contact point.

the foreign national has the right to maintain the status of long-resident in the Member State of origin until they acquire such status in another Member State, which happens only after five years of legal residence and provided that there are other conditions laid down ' art. 9 bis of immigration.

The same thing is expected, if the foreign national holder of a permit issued by Italy EC moves to another Member State, even in this case can not be deprived of the status of the sponsor and the corresponding long residence permit to Italian when this condition does not acquire the Member State of destination.

In the event that the alien should instead only stay for a period not less than three months must apply for a visa but must only report its presence in the territory to the police.

We recall that the EC residence permit is revoked in the event of transfer of long-term residence permit from another EU Member State and also in case of absence from the territory of the state for a period exceeding six years and if absent from the EU for a period of twelve consecutive months.

It is planned to issue the permit, with the same period as the permit issued to the long-term residents, even to family members who accompany or join them.

Caregiver: how to calculate overtime?

I'm a Indiana lady, working as a servant at in a small town, my contract requires me to work 26 hours a week, not living with her, the lady recently asked me to do many hours of overtime, as they should pay me more hours ?

 the lady should recognize increases the hourly wage for the hours of work performed are in more than overtime.

For the law is treated as overtime that exceeds the daily or weekly maximum duration fixed by the contract you signed and in any event, except as provided by the collective agreement, but you can also decide that the extension is due to a recovery of hours that you previously agreed in this case then it is considered extraordinary.

 The collective agreement sets the normal duration of working time for workers living with a maximum of 10 hours a day, not consecutive, for a total of 54 hours per week. For workers not living in 8 hours a day, not consecutive, for a total of 40 hours per week, spread over 5 days or over 6 days.

First lady to ask for at least a day before if you can play more hours of work and can ask to work both day and night unless you, for example, you have a medical examination and then you can not work (only for a good reason).

However, if the lady asks you to work because it is located in an emergency situation, such as a fever, or more generally when there are exceptional or unforeseeable, any services provided during the hours of rest day and night are considered normal font and give rise only to the extension of the rest itself.

First, it must be said, however, that for workers at all hours of the services provided over the schedule, as they fall within the 40 ordinary hours per week, to be paid as normal. Furthermore, again according to the collective agreement the hours worked by workers who are not partners, in excess of 40 hours and up to 44 hours per week provided carried out in the hours between 6.00 am and 22.00 pm, are offset by an increase of 10% .

Overtime must be compensated by adding a surcharge to the hourly rate that varies depending on the circumstances:

• increase applicable to the hourly wage equal to 25% if the additional work is carried out from 6000 hours to 22.00

• increase of 50% if the work takes place between 22:00 and 6:00

• increase of 60% but if the work is done on a Sunday or a public holiday (for holidays are considered: 1 January, 6 January, Easter Monday, April 25th, May 1st, June 2nd, August 15 , Nov. 1, Dec. 8, Dec. 25, Dec. 26)

In your case, so if your work is normally held for 26 hours per week to 7.00 euro per hour in a week and the lady asks you to work for 36 hours, ten 10 hours you have worked in more than is considered normal: then 7.00 X 36 = 252.

But if it works 45 hours a week then the first 40 you will be paid as normal, the 4 will be increased by 10% and 1 will be increased by 25%

Therefore we have:

7.00 X 40 = 280

7.00 X10 = 0.7% x 4 = 30.80

7.00% X25 = 8.75 X 1 = 8.75

The week's pay will be 289.30 euro pariah.

This is a calculation to keep in mind that when it comes to occasional overtime.

However, if your employer is aware that the increase in hours is a constant need to change the contract and immediately notify the INPS.