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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ROME 000438 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2014 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF IT
SUBJECT: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY (III): INEFFECTIVE ITALIAN 
RESPONSE TO IMMIGRATION CHALLENGES 
 
ROME 00000438  001.2 OF 004 
...

SUBJECT: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY (III): INEFFECTIVE ITALIAN 
RESPONSE TO IMMIGRATION CHALLENGES 
 
ROME 00000438  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth L. Dibble for reasons 1.4 (b 
) and (d). 
 
¶1. (SBU)  This is the third in a series of three reporting 
cables on immigration in Italy.  This first reporting cable 
described the current situation.  The second reported on the 
government's reaction to the immigration challenge.  This 
third cable examines the concerns raised by the government's 
security-based approach and previews the outlook for the 
future. 
 
¶2. (C)  In 1991, Italy had an immigrant population of 360,000 
persons. By 2008, that population had grown to some four 
million persons, with an estimated additional population of 
at least 650,000 irregular immigrants.  Recent EU expansion 
has enabled large movements of Eastern European citizens, 
including a doubling of the number of Romanian citizens 
arriving in Italy in 2008.  The Italian region of Lombardy, 
which is home to one of Italy's largest cities, Milan, 
reported a 13 percent increase in immigrants in 2008, half of 
whom were irregular. The number of irregular migrants fleeing 
Africa from Italy to Libya by boat jumped 75 percent in 2008. 
  These trends are likely to continue: the Italian Institute 
of Statistics (ISTAT) forecasts an annual intake of 
foreigners ranging from 150,000 to 240,000 over the next few 
years.  This pressure persists despite an aggressive 
government effort to limit immigration, resulting in calls 
for a shift to a comprehensive approach to integration that 
addresses Italy's likely economic and security concerns in 
the near future.  It is unlikely this government will move to 
such an approach in the near-term, although the U.S. mission 
in Italy can take steps to encourage government action in 
support of integration. 
 
The View from the Critics 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  Not new.  Most observers agree that irregular 
immigration poses a legitimate challenge to Italy's security 
and society.  But critics argue that the phenomenon has been 
apparent for almost two decades and express exasperation at 
the consistent lack of political leadership to address it. 
Le Quyen Ngo Dinh, who has led Caritas' work with immigrants 
in Italy and Europe for 17 years, says immigration is not a 
new phenomenon, citing previous waves of irregular immigrants 
from Albania in the early 1990s and of Kurds from Iraq in the 
late 1990s.  Jean-Leonard Touadi, who was born in the Congo, 
is Italy's first black member of Parliament where he 
represents the Democratic Party.  He spoke to the embassy 
recently and explained his view that Italian leaders -- 
whether center-right or center-left -- have failed to 
recognize and respond to the demographic and social changes 
that have occurred in Italian society as a result of 
immigration over the past two decades, including 
inter-marriage.  For example, Caritas reports that in 2006 
one in ten marriages in Italy involved an Italian and a 
foreign partner, and the percentage of inter-marriage reached 
25 percent in nine northern regions.  Touadi further argued 
that demographic changes within the traditionally Italian 
population, particularly an aging population and declining 
birth rate, mean it is in Italy's national interest to 
welcome immigrants, the benefits of which include augmenting 
Italy's tax base from those who obtain full-time permanent 
employment.  Recalling that for most of the nineteenth and 
twentieth centuries Italy had been a country of emigration, 
Touadi said Italians now need to adapt to this reversal of 
position and define an Italian model for integration of 
immigrants. Claudio Betti, a senior policy advisor for 
Sant'Egidio, shares this view about the need for integration. 
 He admitted he likes to blame Berlusconi for all of Italy's 
problems, but noted ""in fairness"" that previous center-left 
governments had also failed to pursue a policy of integration. 
 
¶4. (C)  Inevitable.  Most of our contacts, including those 
from the Interior Ministry, believe that it will be difficult 
to stop irregular immigration.  They agree that Italy's 
geographic location, stronger economy relative to source 
countries, and lax border controls serve as a magnet. 
Italy's Director of Border Police, Rodolfo Ronconi, said he 
understands they are immigrating for work, for liberty, and 
for security -- enduring aspirations.  Ngo Dinh shared her 
assessment that Maroni's tough rhetoric and call for extended 
detention are designed to put ""psychological pressure"" on 
would-be migrants, but predicted this approach would fail 
because migrants don't believe that Italy has the capacity to 
block their arrival.  It is clear, she said, that ""the state 
institutions are not in control.""  During an embassy visit to 
a center for identification and expulsion located near Rome's 
airport, the center's director told us tongue-in-cheek that 
the only way to stop illegal immigration would be to seal the 
coast of 
Africa or turn the boats away.  He also expressed frustration 
that he and his staff were unable to confirm the identities 
of many of the detained migrants, because many governments 
refused to cooperate.  Because of limited detention capacity, 
the end result is that despite being subject to expulsion 
orders, the majority walk away from the centers.  Given the 
unwillingness of many source governments to assume 
responsibility for their citizens, he was pessimistic that an 
extended detention period would lead to meaningful 
improvements. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Irresponsible Rhetoric.  Paolo Ciani, who works with 
immigrants for Sant'Egidio, described the government's 
anti-immigrant rhetoric as ""demagoguery"" and argued it was 
dangerous and short-sighted.  He noted that the government 
uses the negative terms ""clandestino"" and ""illegal"" to 
describe irregular immigrants, and argued that official 
rhetoric about the crisis in Lampedusa consciously alludes to 
Italian history, when invaders raided and colonized southern 
Italy.  Ciani, like many of our contacts, also blame the 
media for sensational and biased coverage that maligns all 
immigrants.  Ngo Dinh, sharing her assessment of Italians as 
generally hospitable and compassionate people, expressed 
concern that anti-immigrant rhetoric will provoke racist 
behavior, and observed it is hard for societies to ""return"" 
from extremism once unleashed.  Moreover, she said, such 
rhetoric will antagonize legal immigrants.  Sant'Egido's 
Betti shares the same concerns.  He told us immigrants are 
intimidated by the official and societal suspicion of 
foreigners.  He said an enforced deferential ""scusa mi"" 
behavioral pattern will backfire and speculated that Italy's 
""second generation"" of immigrants will be the country's 
number one problem in the future. He observed that most 
""second generation"" immigrants feel little sense of belonging 
to their parents' home country.  If they are rejected by 
Italian society, he argued, they will become psychologically 
vulnerable. 
 
¶6. (C)  Muslim Alienation?  Although Muslims in Italy can 
worship freely, there is only one mosque in the entire 
country that is legally recognized by the state, in part 
because the government has not concluded a formal accord with 
the Islamic community.  This lack of formal recognition is a 
top concern among Muslim immigrants.  Many of our Muslim 
contacts complain that there are suspicious delays in permits 
for the construction of mosques and Islamic community centers 
from municipal officials whom they believe deploy 
bureaucratic regulations as a smokescreen for societal 
prejudice.  The government position, not without merit, is 
that it is difficult to identify an authoritative 
representative of the Muslim community.  Khalid Chaouki, a 
Muslim immigrant who started an Italian website for young 
Muslims and who is attempting to organize Italy's Muslim 
community, told us it is true that the community is divided 
by nationality and political views (he himself is considered 
too conservative by other Muslim figures), but says the 
government is just looking for an excuse to avoid the issue. 
Even well-integrated immigrants who speak Italian flawlessly 
and graduate from the Italian university system tell us they 
are frustrated by citizenship restrictions and a perceived 
inability to compete with Italians for white collar jobs 
because of alleged prejudicial hiring practices. 
 
 
ROME 00000438  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶7.  (C)  Need for Assistance.  Drawing on her long experience 
with immigration in Italy and Europe, Ngo Dinh told us she 
believes the education and skill levels of irregular 
immigrants are declining and expressed concern about their 
ability to integrate and become productive members of 
society.  As an example, she said Somali immigrants are 
squatting in the former Somali embassy in Rome, and she 
described recent Afghan immigrants as unlettered and 
illiterate about urban societies.  These folks need active 
assistance from Italy's state and society, she said.  A 
""laissez faire"" attitude is no longer acceptable.  She also 
expressed frustration with migrants who refused to 
acknowledge their identities to avoid repatriation.  ""Not 
many NGOs would say this,"" she informed us, ""but the 
government is right to insist on this matter.""  Touadi echoed 
a widespread view that Italy does not receive ""mid- and 
high-level immigrants,"" and warned against the ghetto-ization 
of insular migrant communities.  He and other activists would 
like to see the government encourage the migration of skilled 
workers. 
 
¶8. (C)  Impact of Economic Crisis.  Touadi also warned that 
the global economic crisis could aggravate the problem of 
illegal immigration.  Because residence permits are linked to 
employment, if immigrants lose their jobs they will lose 
their legal status.  Ngo Dinh reported that Caritas had 
recently noted an increase in unemployed immigrants.  Touadi 
criticized Interior Minister Maroni for saying he doesn't 
want to risk Italian employment by issuing more work permits. 
 The fact is, Touadi said, there is little competition 
between Italians and immigrants, given the disparity in skill 
sets.  He added that Italian industry continues to see a role 
for immigrants.  Betti agreed that the weakest are often the 
scapegoats in a worsening environment.  Ronconi observed to 
us that economic crises often led to tensions between 
majority and minority populations, and said there were 
already examples of Italian workers viewing foreign workers 
as the enemy. 
 
¶9.  (C)  A Different Vision.  Given his personal experience, 
Touadi has thought deeply about the problem, considering the 
experience of the UK and France.  He says Italy must not 
follow the British model of multiculturalism, which he argues 
has resulted in isolated and alienated immigrant communities. 
 He also rejects the French model of integration, which he 
believes forces an immigrant to choose between his religious 
and national identity.  Touadi believes the way forward is 
twofold: the government needs to make it easier for 
immigrants to become legal, productive and integrated members 
of Italian society.  To that end, he says it is time for 
Italy to revise its citizenship law, which dates to 1992 and 
narrowly limits opportunities for naturalization.  Second, he 
argues, Italian society, given its own emigrant history and 
its experience with Catholic and communist co-existence, has 
the capacity to absorb and be enriched by non-Christians. 
Citing the publication of Italian novels by foreigners, he 
said: ""Imagine the language of Dante being used to tell 
non-Italian stories."" 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (C)  Few of our contacts fault the government for 
seeking improved security.  But they object to the narrow 
focus on the security aspects of immigration.  Moreover, they 
argue that by limiting opportunities for citizenship and 
integration and by portraying immigrants as criminals and 
potential terrorists, the government could well increase the 
threat to Italy's security by alienating its immigrant 
communities.  There is little public discussion of the 
implications of Italy's changing demography and its potential 
impact on the economy, nor of the role that immigrants could 
play in the labor market or the support they could contribute 
to Italy's extensive pension system.  Socially, ecumenical 
views such as Touadi's tend to be muffled by the views of 
leaders like Marcello Pera, a former president of the Italian 
Senate, who argues that Italy must reinforce its Christian 
 identity. 
 
¶11. (C)  There are some ad hoc examples of successful 
integration programs in northern Italy, where local 
governments in immigrant heavy communities tend to take a 
more pragmatic and progressive approach, regardless of 
political stripe.  For example, some towns have established a 
""one stop shop"" for immigrants staffed by cultural mediators 
who speak the languages of the main immigrant groups.  These 
offices explain immigration law, provide advice about employe 
rights, and offer counsel on how to open a business.  They 
may also assist with medical appointments and provide 
information on where to learn Italian.  Some cities have made 
government facilities available on weekends to immigrant 
communities for language lessons: classes in basic Italian 
for stay-at-home mothers who are otherwise isolated, and 
classes for the school children in the language of their 
parents.  Some local and regional education authorities have 
emphasized instruction in Italian-as-a-second-language for 
teachers in for public schools.  But these services are made 
available in a patchwork fashion and vary greatly from city 
to city. 
 
¶12.  (C)   The issue of national identity is rightly an issue 
for Italians, but there may be a role for the U.S. to promote 
a constructive discussion of the benefits of immigration. 
Although we judge the current government has little interest 
in altering its approach to immigration, the U.S. mission 
believes the United States serves as a positive alternative 
model and we will continue to promote our experience in 
discussions and activities with the public and interested 
government contacts.  We have an active public diplomacy 
program designed to transfer communication and organizational 
skills to young Muslims and other Italians interested in 
Italy's ""second generation"" immigrants, including support for 
Martino Pillitteri, who launched ""Yalla Italia"" (Let's Go 
Italy), a Milan newsweekly that seeks to inform Italians 
about Islamic and Arab cultures and to fill the information 
gap in Italian society.  We are also seeking to encourage 
contacts between immigrants and Italian communities, and will 
look for ways to encourage the dissemination of pragmatic 
programs established by cities in the north.  Contacts in the 
Interior Ministry have reached out for U.S. expertise in 
providing familiarization training for police officials 
working in Muslim communities.  There may also be 
opportunities to draw on Italy's experience with immigration 
in America to illustrate the benefits of integration. 
Finally, we will seek opportunities with our government 
contacts to promote a longer-term vision for immigration, 
including the benefits of concluding an accord with the 
Islamic community. 
 
DIBBLE 
"