Italy Coronavirus Update: Nation Unveils New Scheme To Temporarily Regularise Illegal Migrants

Given how the growing COVID-19 scare is calling for several reforms in the existing structure, a recent move by the Italian government might spell a degree of relief to illegal migrants. On Wednesday, the government decided to regularise the statuses of illegal migrants in a bid to provide health coverage amid the global health crisis.

“We have reached an important result… in the fight against crime and in putting an end to the black market in jobs,” said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, while discussing the new scheme. Conte added how all migrant workers will not be able to avail of an adequate level of health care” in the face of the pandemic.

The trend of illegal migration of African and Bulgarian workers during summer isn’t new. In fact, Italy is often plagued by the black-market industry, brimming with poorly paid laborers employed as domestic help or wage workers that perform menial tasks in the agricultural sector. The deplorable conditions often push these illegal migrants to seek refuge in shelter camps that reek of acute poverty.

While the new scheme is pro-migrant, there is a catch: One will be able to claim the benefits only if they are employed in the domestic or agricultural sector. The move also hints at better living conditions for the illegal migrants who qualify under the scheme. The government has ensured that basic security and cleanliness would be maintained at the migrants’ accommodation.

Unsurprisingly, the move is being lauded as a much-needed act to set things rolling in the larger scheme of things. Scores of non-profit organizations believe that the move might be the first step toward the betterment of the illegal migrant workers, which can go a long way in protecting the basic rights and dignity of the migrants in Italy.

Things seem to be looking up for Italy in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, with the numbers showing a steady downward curve. With the numbers reducing to 174 deaths on the first weekend of May, Italy reported its lowest toll earlier this month since the lockdown was imposed. The number of infected cases also saw a steady decrease since the first week of March.