Introduction
An issue at the core of the argument against immigration internationally is the idea that immigrants “steal jobs from decent working men,” (Bauder). Since immigration came to the forefront of politics during the twenty-first century, the idea that immigrants are harmful to a country's economy has been central to the debate pushing for the implementation of more stringent controls on immigration in many developed countries. Recently, the issue of immigrants' effect on the economy has been central to various political debates within Italy. At the core of these debates, it is projected that immigrants within Italy's borders are taking away jobs from native Italians and contributing to the faltering of the country's economy. However, it is pivotal to question whether this is the reality. A country full of contradictions, one must constantly be skeptical when considering contemporary issues within the one-hundred fifty year old country. Considering the economy of Italy and observing interactions between Italian natives and immigrants poses the question: Are politicians within Italy skewing the economic situation in Italy to build resistance versus immigrants?
In order to answer this question, it is important to look back at the economic history of Italy and its role as a world power. With an economic history dating back to antiquity, Italy was the economic king of the ancient world. Officially united in 1861, Italy began its transition into the modern Western world. Beginning in the beginning of the twentieth century, Italy entered into the Fascist Era. Post World War I, Benito Mussolini took power, establishing a laissez-faire, or free trade, economic system. During the beginning of Mussolini's rule, the Italian economy thrived; however, it was not long before a new system was implemented. As the world entered into the Great Depression in 1929, Mussolini moved away from a laissez-faire economy, eliminating free trade and nationalizing Italian banks. Gradually moving toward a government-ruled economy, Mussolini implemented an economic model called corporatism, a partnership between the government and businesses within Italy. With this new system, the Italian government sunk into a depression as Mussolini expended much of Italy's money on military advancement. Moving away from corporatism during World War II, a war economy was established and all companies were forced to finance the Italian military. At the end of WWII, the Italian economy was effectively destroyed and Italy saw its per capita income fall to the lowest in its history.
Five years after WWII and the fall of Mussolini, the economy in Italy finally turned around with the so-called “Italian Economic Miracle,” “beginning the period was marked by years of rapid growth, with an annual growth rate which stood at nearly six percent up until 1963,” (Zamagni 338). After 1963, the high growth period of Italy slowed as the Italian economy entered a period known as the Hot Autumn (Zamagni 338). During this period, Italians advocated for more support from the government including the implementation of social services, laws regarding better conditions for workers, guaranteed job security, pension plans, and a national healthcare service. The results of these protests finally came to fruition in 1978 when national healthcare was established in Italy. Two years later, in 1980, Italy became established as an economic power along with the United States, Japan, and Germany. Although the industrial jobs in Italy were declining, the tourism and service industries were thriving; allowing Italy to become part of the G8 (formerly G6), proving Italy's power as an industrialized democracy.
While Italy's economy has been tumultuous in the past, as the country moves into the twenty-first century, it now faces what is considered by the government to be an even worse problem: an influx of immigrants infiltrating the Italian labor force. As precisely stated by Marcello Pera, an Italian senator, in 2005 when he proclaimed “immigration is turning Italians into a 'mixed race'” (Bowen). Prior to the twenty-first century, the threat of immigration was not on the forefront of politics in Italy. However, as tourism has grown exponentially and is at the core of the survival of the Italian economy, it has become vital for Italy to maintain its authentic feel lending the aura of antiquity to visitors. As the industrial labor market has fallen within Italy, the country has become dependent on the service industry in order to withhold their economy from collapsing. Along with this dependency on tourism comes many pressures such as: how does Italy maintain its authenticity with dropping birthrates and increasingly large quantities of immigrants entering the country?
Methods
Sources consulted for the compilation of this paper include journals, articles from The Ecnomist, statistics from Eurostat, and scholarly articles found via Google Scholar. Investigation for this paper also included the interviewing of an Eastern European refugee and the director of the Catholic charity CARITAS. Through careful analysis of literature, statistics, and interviews coupled with daily observation, this research paper was able to be constructed..
Literature Review & Findings
After reviewing various literature, there is evidence that while the media presents immigrants as a harm to the economy, they often serve to sustain the economy. The current prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, has recently been highlighted in The Economist “Mr. Berlusconi criticized the very notion of a multi-ethnic Italy. Opposition politicians and some bishops said it was a bit late for aspirations to racial purity,” (economist.com). Berlusconi's ideals of racial purity have molded the country's view of immigrants in society. Unfortunately, the advantages to immigration in the economy are something that is often ignored in Italian society. According to another article entitled “Immigration in Italy: Southern Misery” immigrants often, “sustain parts of the economy that would otherwise be uncompetitive,” (economist.com). Immigrants' contributions to the economy are often overlooked, creating tension between native and immigrant workers.
Another article from The Economist entitled “Stemming the Flow” details the implications of increased resistance to immigration. As immigration has become more prevalent in Italy, more stringent laws have been established regarding employment for legal immigrants, they will be required “to have job contracts before leaving their home countries.” With job contracts required, Italy is making a push to discourage immigrants from migrating to Italy. However, as “Stemming the Flow” highlights, “Many small and medium firms in Northern Italy and farms in the South depend on them. Some businessmen are already complaining that the new procedures will bring serious difficulties. The large and growing number of families who depend on Philippine or Sri Lanken home-helps are worried too,” (economist.com). This statement contradicts the opinions that politicians such as Berlusconi project about immigration within Italy. When implementing these laws and maintaining the encouragement for a single-race country, the advantages of immigrant employment is often overlooked. “Stemming the Flow” successfully points out the advantages that can be reaped from immigrant employment in certain sectors of the Italian economy such as manufacturing, farming, and house-hold help.
While immigrants are projected as having a negative impact on the economy, there is a discrepancy of discrimination against immigrants that are not from English-speaking countries, “even legal immigrants from non-EU countries will have to be fingerprinted. Though it is said that ways will in fact be found to spare Americans, Canadians, and Australians this indignity,” (economist.com). If immigrants are going to be fingerprinted in order to prove their identity to receive a job within Italy, shouldn't all immigrants be fingerprinted regardless of their country of origin? Americans, Canadians, and Australians are just as capable of “stealing” jobs from Italians as individuals from Spain, Romania, Yugoslavia, or Morocco.
Incorporating these sources and comparing them to the data available through Eurostat, here are some statistics regarding unemployment rate, live birth rate, and net migration within Italy compared to countries such as Spain, France, Romania, and the United States of America:
| Country | Unemployment Rate: December 2010 (%) |
|---|---|
| Italy | 8.6 |
| United States of America | 9.4 |
| France | 9.7 |
| Spain | 20.4 |
| Romania | 7.3 |
Table 1: Percentage of Labor Force (Anyone that is: a. without work during the week b. currently available for work but is not working c. available for paid work or self-employment d. actively seeking work) in each country that is currently unemployed as of December 2010.
These statistics regarding unemployment further contradict the media's projection of unemployment levels in Italy. Stringent citizenship laws make it clear that the centre-right Italian government will do anything in their power to ensure immigrants will not enter into the public sector labor force. As illustrated by the statistics, Italy's unemployment rate is amongst the lowest in the world at 8.6 percent. This low unemployment rate is contradicted by what is projected through media and Italian politics. Immigrants in the Italian labor force are able to “fill critical labor gaps” (Calavita 64) created from the decreasing birthrate and population. Why are citizenship laws, and therefore employment laws, so stringent when the birthrate in Italy is falling in comparison to other countries in the European Union while immigration rises:
| Country | Number of Live Births: 1990 | Number of Live Births: 2009 | Number of Foreigners: 1998 | Number of Foreigners: 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 532824 | 568857 | 991678 | 3891295 |
| France | 768581 | 825564 | 609813 | 3737549 |
| Spain | 365193 | 494537 | n/a | 5650968 |
| Romania | 237297 | 222388 | n/a | 31354 |
Table 2: Number of live births (babies that were delivered breathing) compared to number of foreigners (number of individuals not original to the country in which they are living)
| Country | Net Migration: 1990 (%) | Net Migration: 2009 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | 0.4 | 5.3 |
| France | n/a | 1.1 |
| Spain | -0.5 | 1.1 |
| Romania | -3.7 | -0.1 |
Table 3: Net migration= (immigrants-emigrants/1000 people). If number is positive, there are more immigrants entering the country than leaving. If the number is negative, there are more people emigrating from the country than entering as immigrants.
Looking at the number of live births in Italy over a span of nineteen years compared to the live births of other countries in the EU makes it clear that Italy's birthrate is slowly increasing, with only a small increase of 36,033 lives, compared to the average increase of 57,139 lives. While the birthrate per year in Italy is slowly increasing at a decreasing rate, the number of foreigners entering the country is increasing exponentially, “In ten years, the foreign population has increased by two million people,” (eurostat.com). This statistic coupled with the increase in net migration, as referenced in table 3, clearly defines the stark demographic change that Italy is experiencing. With slow birthrates and a rate of immigration that is increasing at rates previously unheard of in Italian history, immigrants are pertinent to the survival and development of Italy.
Conducting a few interviews allows the information found through literary research and Eurostat to be tied together. Interviewing a volunteer at the Joel Nafuma Migrant Center, an Eastern European immigrant, and Le Quyen Ngo Dinh from CARITAS, a Rome-based Catholic charity focused on helping immigrants, provided an interesting perspective on employment for immigrants.
A political refugee coming from Eastern Europe, the volunteer , shared his experience trying to break into the labor market in Italy. He shared that immigrants are not likely to find a job for an average of three years after their arrival in Italy due to strict laws regarding residence permits. When sharing his job experience within Italy, he conceded that when he first arrived in Italy as a refugee in 2006, there were many resources for refugees and immigrants to live without ever having to obtain a job. Unfortunately, these resources were taken advantage of and refugees and migrants would live off of them as long as possible instead of finding a job. These resources included a multitude of shelters throughout the city where they were able to go sleep and receive food on a daily basis. However, as the laws regarding immigration became more stringent, the shelters were forced to be shutdown. For immigrants and refugees today, there are only two places providing shelter and food to immigrants: the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, where immigrants are able to go during the day to receive breakfast and shelter until two o'clock in the afternoon, and one shelter where immigrants are able to go at night to sleep. Although many of the resources have been eliminated for immigrants, Salva shared that with this lack of housing and minimal welfare benefits comes the instillation of an “entrepreneurial spirit” within immigrants and refugees alike. Without aid from the Italian government, immigrants are forced to utilize their social network in order to find a way to make a living in Italian society. Salva has personally enjoyed the lack of help provided from the Italian government. He shared that he thinks that the entrepreneurial, or “survival of the fittest”, spirit of Italy determines which immigrants will succeed and which will not.
Interviewing Le Quyen Ngo Dinh, or Director Dinh, further provided an inside look into the economic situation for immigrants within Italy. CARITAS helps to prepare immigrants for job interviews, obtain documentation, and provides Italian language courses for foreigners. Director Dinh shared that while CARITAS attempts to provide employment placement, it is often not very effective. She stated that without a social network, immigrants are often unable to find work within Italy. While there are three ways immigrants can search for employment: through their social network, a private search center (internet), or a public job counseling center, generally the most effective route is to utilize one's social network. Also sharing that it is impossible to find a job that is not simply temporary. The key tool for integration and obtaining a job, according to Director Dinh, is the ability for one to speak the Italian language. Therefore, CARITAS focuses on educating new immigrants with the Italian language.
Discussion
Having analyzed literature, statistics, and interviews it is clear a contradiction lives within Italy: the Italian government is attempting to limit services to immigrants in order to attempt to preserve a single-race country and reject the vital role immigrants play in the Italian economy.
“Southern Misery” highlights the fact that immigration can offer diversity to Italy in a number of ways. With an economy based on the service industry, it is important to consider that immigrants can contribute to the development of a multifaceted economy. Taking jobs that are generally unwanted by Italian natives such as farming, household help, and factory work, immigrant employment can help to expand the economy. Furthermore, by maintaining employment in factories through the utilization of immigrants, Italy avoids outsourcing production to other countries and maintains the authenticity of their goods. The expansion of a multifaceted economy would help to diffuse tensions between immigrants and natives.
Delving deeper into literature, in “Stemming the Flow” it was further discovered that a discrepancy exists between which types of immigrants will be allowed into Italy. With laws determining which immigrants are going to be fingerprinted to obtain work in Italy and which are not, Italy is allowing the institutionalism of discrimination in their country. Unfortunately, this institutionalism is, in effect, snowballing and allowing for the further division of the young country.
Analyzing the statistics available via Eurostat, it is clear that net migration in Italy is continually increasing. This increase in net migration calls for a change in the social and employment structure of Italy. Analyzing the data available makes it clear that immigration is happening in Italy, making it something that must be recognized by the government. As was highlighted in “Mess in the Mediterranean,” it is a “bit late for aspirations to racial purity.” Italy is evolving into a mixed-race country and it is something that must be recognized in order for the country to progress as a world economic power. If Italians continue to attempt to suppress the phenomena that is immigration, they will force all of the immigrants out of their country, causing their resources to be utilized elsewhere.
Comparing the net migration figures to the total amount of unemployment within Italy further shows a contradiction between what is occurring in the economy versus what is projected to be occurring via media, “The Northern League has tapped directly into local Italian and broader European fears about the economy, immigration, and local identity,” (New York Times). Often in the media, immigration has been associated with both loss of identity and a faltering economy. However, when looking at the statistics available, it is clear that Italy's employment is amongst the lowest in the world, making it a destination spot for immigrants. Interviewing a politcal refugee and Director Dinh gave further information directly relating to the economic situation in Italy.
The political refugee's interview lent insight to the development of immigration in Italy throughout the last few years. His opinions on the idea of the “entrepreneurial spirit” are a unique view on the limited resources provided to immigrants entering Italy today. With net migration numbers rising, it is important for more resources to be provided for immigrants newly entering the country of Italy. Furthermore, the elimination of shelters for immigrants and refugees throughout Italy parallels the goals of the Italian government: to stop Italy from developing into a “mixed-race” country.
Director Dinh's interview provided insight to the realities of the toughness of integration into Italian society. While employment often depends on a network within Italy, this network often does not exist. Since immigration is such a contemporary issue within Italy, usually immigrants are the first members of their families to migrate to Italy and are unable to contact anyone they know for employment. Furthermore, while the Italian language is a key tool relating to integration in the job force, it is not possible for one organization, CARITAS, to educate the millions of immigrants residing in Italy.
Conclusion
While conducting research for this paper, there were limitations hindering the research on the role of immigrants on the economy in Italy. With immigration being such a new phenomenon for Italians, it was difficult to find specific statistics relating directly to immigrant employment within Italy. Therefore, analyzing net migration in comparison to figures such as total unemployment and live birth rate allowed insight to the situation for immigrants. Researching such a contemporary issue in a country that is already young presented issues regarding to the availability of relevant information.
Another limitation effecting the research conducted was the lack of information on the role of the black market and presence of the Mafia on the Italian economy. Since both the black market and Mafia are illegal, reliable statistics were unable to be found in regards to their overall role in the Italian economy.
Although there were limitations in regards to relevant statistics, there was also much information available contributing to the development of the argument that immigrants are being pushed to the edge of Italian society through the imposition of stringent laws and resistance from the government, stemmed from pressure to maintain an authentic, single-race population. Immigrants are only accepted in Italian society when they are able to contribute their work to society while blending seamlessly into Italian life,“On one hand, immigrant labour is utilized daily, usually to everyone's advantage and satisfaction. On the other hand, any visible sign of an immigrant presence, beyond the sheer and silent impact of their work, is perceived as a disturbing interference in our domestic affairs,” (opendemocracy.net).
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