On January 7th, years of tension and resentment between southern Italians and African immigrants boiled over into what Reuters calls, “The worst racial violence in Italy since WWII”. The popular world image of Italy, that of la dolce vita, had been shattered when locals of the Calabrian city of Rosarno purportedly attacked a group of African immigrants, who responded with violent riots that injured 71. Over 1,000 African immigrants were subsequently evacuated from the town, apparently to prevent further violence. Though the exposure of the xenophobia in Rosarno is disheartening at best, it is unfortunately symptomatic of larger tensions between African immigrants, who flock to Italy looking for work, and Italians, who are uneasy about the affect of such a large influx of immigrants on their culture.
According to the International Organization for Migration, foreign workers account for 9% of Italy’s GDP. Predominantly emigrating from African and East European nations in search of stable income to support loved ones back home, these migrant workers perform menial tasks such as fruit picking, waiting tables, and factory work. With wages averaging around $30US a day, accommodations are substandard, ranging from tent villages to converted factories, and sanitation is poor. Complicating the situation is the involvement of the Mafia through a chain gang-like system called caporolato. “It’s a military system,” says author and Mafia informant Roberto Saviano, “The farm and factory owners employ the Mafia caporali to bring the workers. The immigrants wait on the roads, the caporali pick them up and take them to the work. If they complain, they get killed,”. Despite the threats from the Mafia and disgruntled locals, the Italian government has adopted a hands-off approach. “It’s obvious they have let the Mafia freely do with the immigrants as they wish,” Saviano says. It seems that it will require more than riots to get the government involved, especially when that government is made up of politicians such as Minister of Reform and Northern League founder Umberto Bossi, who is on record as referring to African migrants as “bingo-bongos”.
Thus, Italy finds itself in an uncomfortable state of ambivalence, a predicament which countries such as Spain are also facing. Without these dependable sources of cheap labor, says IOM spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo, “the Italian economic system would collapse,”. But the constant influx of African immigrants introduces a diversity that is unwelcome and chafing to the homogeneity of Italian culture. Though many Italians loathe the presence of the African immigrants and are not afraid to express this sentiment, these same Italians do not want to live without the services these immigrants provide. And from the immigrants’ side, though they cannot live without the jobs, the humiliation and discrimination is intolerable. “They are not like Italian workers, who will just leave if they don’t like it…these jobs are the best situation they can have,” says Saviano.
So what, if any, are possible solutions? Firstly, the Italian government must recognize the African immigrants as more than an economically necessary evil; the human rights of these people should become a number one priority. Furthermore, hegemonic and xenophobic policies and perceptions should be addressed from all angles and at all levels, in state and local governments, in schools, and in the media. More thorough attempts at integrating immigrants are essential for successful assimilation. Finally, dialogue between international entities facing this issue of explosive immigration should become a foreign policy priority. Possible solutions and strategies to use in dealing with this complex issue can no doubt be worked through discussion and diplomacy.
“Italy Race Riots Target African Immigrants”, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Italy-race-riots-target-African-immigrants–/articleshow/5434641.cms
“In Italy, Racial Tensions Explode into Violence”, http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1953064,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1953064,00.html
Other sources:
1. Caffentzis, George. Internationalizing the Struggle for Immigrant Rights: The Case of African Immigrants in Italy. Accessible at http://www.isanet.org
2. “Italy Repatriates African Immigrants”, http://www.euronews.net/2009/05/10/italy-repatriates-african-immigrants/
3. “Italy’s ‘Little Senegal’”, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3622953.stm