Italian official in Morocco to explain new immigration law
Morocco-Italy, Politics, 3/24/2000

Italian secretary of state in charge of immigration, Alberto Maritati, is currently visiting Morocco to explain the provisions of the new Italian law on immigration in force since March 15.

The Italian official held a related meeting with Moroccan minister of the interior, Ahmed Midaoui, and expounded at a news briefing the specific aspects of the law and the entry requirements into Italy.

Under the new law, Italy will open in the course of year 2000 gates to 63,000 legal emigrants, including 3,000 Moroccans.

The same number will come from Tunisia and 6,000 from Albania, the Italian official told reporters. However, he added, the numbers may be increased if the Italian market can take in larger numbers.

Morocco and Italy are bound by an agreement on struggle against illegal immigration under which they cooperate in the identification of the Moroccan nationals who enter Italy illegally and in their repatriation.

According to the latest available figures, the Moroccan community settled in Italy is 146,460 strong.

He said immigrants will be considered as full-fledged citizens, enjoying rights and fulfilling duties. They will be secured access to school, medicare and lodging, he said. "Social integration, respect of the person and guaranteeing work are the main goals of the new law," he said.

He added that Italy is currently elaborating vocational training programs to the attention of candidates to immigration to secure adequation between demand and offer on the Italian market.

Alberto Maritati said that the immigrants who will not respect the procedure will be expelled and banned entry to Italy for five years.

Regular immigration is a natural phenomenon deserving backing but illegal immigration must be fought, he said.

According to a UN report, Italy will need over the coming fifty years some 12 million immigrants in view of its aging population. Persons over 60 who currently form 24% of the Italian population will reach 41% by year 2050.

The Italian population which is currently 57 million strong will drop to 41 million by 2050 unless the trend is reversed by migratory flows. In 1999, some 1.25 million legal immigrants were living in Italy, the Moroccans forming the strongest alien community.

Previous Stories:
  Italian officials in Morocco on eve of new immigration law enforcement   (3/10/2000)
  Italy to receive 3,000 Moroccan immigrants this year   (2/15/2000)
  Assistance to development and more investments would curb illegal emigration, Italian MPs   (11/18/1999)

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