posted by Belarmino
Dabalos Saguing Rome, Italy 13 November 2018 Contact info: email bdsaguing@gmail.com
Italy hosts the largest population of Overseas Fiipino Workers
in Western Europe according to Italian Forign Affairs statistics. The Italian Ministry
of Interior reports of 167,859 total number of documented Filipinos scattered
in Italian regions, of which 72,599 are
males and 95,260 are females. The highest concentrations are in the regions of
Lombardy – 58,412 and Lazio – 46,282. Estimate
numbers of undocumented Filipinos vary
widely from 20,000 to80,000. (Source: ISTAT Jan. 1 2018)
Filipinos were among the first
immigrant groups to work in Italy, starting in the early 1970s. They constitute
the sixth largest foreign community after the Romanians, Albanians, Moroccans,
Chinese and Ukrainians. Most Filipinos are concentrated in major cities like
Milan (42,236), Rome41,311), Some 20.4 percent are found in other
municipalities.
They work mainly as domestic
helpers or family caregivers. Some have found work in shops, factories and in
various services. With the employment
opportunities available, Filipino women outnumber Filipino males–72,599 males vs. 95,260 females – with valid work
permits. The rest are their dependents – 14, 551 to 15,565. Italy is the fourth
largest source of remittances to the Philippines. In per capita remittances,
Filipinos rank second only to Chinese immigrants.
The Italian economy
is industrialized and diversified. It is dominated by the manufacture of
high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-size enterprises, many
of them family owned. Italy also has a sizable underground, untaxed economy,
which by some estimates accounts for as much as 17 percent of the gross
national product.
However, Italy is divided into a developed industrial north,
dominated by private companies, and a less developed, welfare-dependent,
agricultural south, with high unemployment. Italy is the third-largest economy
in the euro-zone, but it is saddled with high public debt and has imposed
austerity measures. Its decreasing native labor force, due to aging population
and low fertility rate add to its burdens. Thus,immigrants
became an important force in the economy. Four million Immigrants now
contribute about 11 percent of the Italian gross domestic product and pay taxes
amounting to about €33 billion. The 3.5 percent of the companies that migrants
own and operate pay some €7.5 billion of the country’s social security (Caritas
Migrantes - Dossier Sull’ Immigrazione).
The government, aware of Italy’s need for
migrant labor to work on farms and in factories and fill other work that many
native Italians are reluctant to do, has instituted several amnesty programs to
regularize the stay of undocumented workers. It also has a family reunification
program that allows immigrant parents to send for their children up to the age
of 18 years. In 2008 up to 16 percent of Filipinos came to the country to join
their families compared with almost 79 percent who came for employment (Colombo
and Martini, 2010). The rise in the Filipino birth rate in Italy is
contributing to the growing Filipino population. Some 1,598 Filipino babies
were born in 2008 alone.
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| Birthday celebration of an OFW child in via Prenestina, Rome 11.10.2018 (Photo by Nelia Areola Domingo) |
Although not immune to discrimination and
abuse, Filipinos do not suffer as much as trafficked immigrants. Employers
value them for their familiarity with English and their work ethic. They are
also credited with revitalizing parishes that have suffered from the loss of
native congregants.
But
culture, language and race hinders their full assimilation into Italian
society. Filipino children and youth brought to Italy tend to suffer the most.
Emotional and identity issues confront them, and they can be vulnerable to
risky behavior. Italian-born Filipinos have fewer problems integrating. They
become in many ways, as Italian as any native Italian children, taking on many
of their values, culture and habits. This cause considerable conflicts in some
cases, with Filipino parents who consider Italian children and youth as too
disrespectful to parents.
At
present, there are more than 70 Filipino community organizations all over
Italy. Most are church based and often have close links with priests and
chaplaincies that minister to their religious and counseling needs.
The
migration policies of the present extreme right populist government of Italy, notably the new security dcrees of the present populist extreme right coalition is posing problems to undocumented
Filipinos and other foreign nationals in the country.
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