Italian Government Plans to Expand Temporary Work Visa Application Days

The Italian government has announced plans to increase the number of days each year when foreigners can apply for temporary work visas, known as "click days." This decision was confirmed during a government meeting with unions and organizations, where proposals to improve the current immigration system were discussed.

The move comes in response to the persistent shortage of regular foreign workers in Italy, which has failed to meet the needs of the labor market. Maria Grazia Gabrielli, Secretary of the Cgil union, emphasized the necessity of reforming the current process: "We need to move beyond the click day. We need an annual flow system, no longer tied to quotas and precise deadlines, but based on the real needs of the country."

While the government seeks improvements in how foreign workers can enter Italy more easily, it has made clear that it does not intend to alter the existing Bossi-Fini law. This law, which was passed by two former ministers, regulates several aspects of immigration, including stricter conditions for obtaining residence permits for foreigners and their families. It requires foreign workers to secure a job offer before entering Italy, ensuring that third-country nationals fill positions that cannot be taken by Italian or EU citizens. The law also enhances the authority's ability to deport and detain irregular migrants and imposes penalties on employers who hire undocumented workers.

Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano outlined the government's forthcoming decree, which will soon be presented to the Council of Ministers. The new measures aim to streamline the process for foreign workers while addressing potential abuses of the system.

A significant concern for the government is the misuse of work visas by criminal organizations. There are growing suspicions that organized crime groups have infiltrated the visa system, using it for fraudulent purposes. Mantovano pointed to specific regions, such as Campania, where the number of requests for foreign workers far exceeds the capacity of local businesses to employ them. He noted that many foreigners who arrive for work do not end up signing legitimate employment contracts. "The requests to bring foreign workers to Italy by companies located in some territories (in particular, Campania) are clearly excessive compared to the absorption capacity of the entrepreneurial fabric of the territories themselves; many foreigners who have come to those territories for work purposes do not then sign any regular employment contract," Mantovano stated.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also expressed concern over the misuse of Italy's seasonal work visas by criminal gangs. She revealed that Italian visas are being resold for as much as $15,000, with Bangladeshi nationals providing the information about these illicit practices. The government's focus on reforming the flow of foreign workers is seen as a way to address these abuses and ensure that the visa system is used legitimately.

By fLEXI tEAM