Immigration Policies

First comprehensive immigration law was introduced in 1986 covering the following issues:
-Regulation of entry of immigrants seeking employment
-Provided amnesty for undocumented immigrants who couold prove employment
*Approach assumed that immigration phenomenon was limited and transitior so contained no rules aimed at encouraging integration.

With emergence of political parties hostile towards immigrations and influence from European migration policies with their concern for the weak borders of southern European countries, new laws were passed.

‘Martelli Law’
-immigration began to be considered in long-term.
Law defined regarded:
-anuual planning of migratory flows,
-certain norms regarding rights and obligations of foreigners
-matters concerning work conditions as well as family reunification and social integration

Center-left government between 1997-1998 implement quota system on immigration flow based on triennial plans.
Workers could enter and stay in Italy under following conditions:
-seasonal employment
-if they had an offer in employmenet already
*Some measures aimed at immigration integration

Immigration policy landscape changed again in 2002 when center-right government took power -Law specifies that all ‘social integration measures’ are limited to legal immigrants
-Introduced a repressive policy towards undocumented immigrations through use of compulsory repatriation
permit cannot last work than work contract
-employers in Italy are obliged to advertise job opening for 20 days before allowing foreign workers

NEWEST DEVELOPMENT

Italy's immigration law, which gives the authorities the right to impose fines as large as €10,000 on illegal immigrants and to detain them for up to six months. It also allows unarmed citizen patrols to help police fight street crime.

A security bill awaiting final approval in the Italian parliament also contains several controversial provisions, including:
-procedures for medical staff to denounce illegal immigrants
-making illegal immigration a criminal offence punishable by a fine of 5,000-10,000 euros (£4,400-8,800)
-prison terms of up to four years for those who defy expulsion orders