Lenient immigration rules for 200,000 Pinoys in Italy sought

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. has pleaded for lenient immigration rules for the more than 200,000 Filipino workers in Italy.

In a dialogue last week with members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament led by his counterpart, Pier Ferdinando Cassini, De Venecia said Italy should extend to Filipinos the same privilege America gave to its citizens when many of them migrated in the early 1900s.

He said the United States allowed Italian migrants to bring with them their families.

He said because they were given the privilege to be with their loved ones, the migrants became more hardworking and productive, making them a vital contributor to the US economy.

Since most Italians and Filipinos have the same religion and values, they want to be with their families even when they are living or working temporarily abroad, he added.

He stressed that like the Italian migrants to America, Filipino workers in Italy would be more productive if they are permitted to reunite or bring with them their loved ones.

The Italian parliamentarians promised to look into the request of De Venecia, who was a guest of Cassini.

According to Ambassador to Rome Philippe Lhuillier, there are about 220,000 Filipinos in Italy, more than half of whom are without legal working papers.

However, he said the embassy in Rome and the consulate in Milan, an industrial city, are helping them to legalize their stay.

He said besides house helpers and factory workers, Italy needs doctors and nurses.

Lhuillier revealed that before the abduction of Italian priest Fr. Giuseppi Pierantoni in October last year reportedly by the Pentagon gang in Central Mindanao, Italy was about to relax its immigration and recruitment rules for workers by allowing direct hiring and scrapping several requirements.

But the signing of the agreement with the Philippine government for the relaxation of the rules has been put on hold apparently because of the priest’s abduction, he said.

De Venecia has been helping the authorities work for the release of Fr. Pierantoni. He has sought the intercession of some top leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

While in Rome during the Holy Week, De Venecia and his small delegation that includes Makati Rep. Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr. were received by Pope John Paul II.