Italy has just made a step ahead in fighting discrimination against foreign workers, and finally complied – with delay – with European legislation. From September 4th, also immigrants to whom Italian citizenship has not been granted yet can apply for jobs in Public Administration. However, the law imposes two restrictions: first of all, only foreign nationals holding a residence card (carta di soggiorno), refugee status or subsidiary protection status (status di protezione sussidiaria) can take part in state competitions for access to jobs in PA. Secondly, they cannot apply for jobs that imply the exercise of state powers. This means that there will be no foreign nationals among the members of the police, the judiciary or the military; however, it will be possible to find immigrants who teach in Italian state schools, are employed by municipal offices or take care of patients in hospitals.”
Racism at school
In a very short time and at a very short distance, in the province of Bergamo and in the province of Novara, the parents of some Italian pupils withdrew their children from school because there were many foreign children in class and foreign children were then transferred to other schools. Lega Nord uses the opportunity to reiterate the proposal of setting up “separate classes for foreign children who do not know Italian”.
Going Crazy with numbers!
Italy’s National Office against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) investigated 1,283 cases of discrimination in 2012, up 61% on the year, according to its Contact Center. The UNAR emphasized that the data could indicate a higher sensitivity to possible discrimination by the public at large and a greater tendency to report. The majority of complaints, 19.6%, came from the northern Lombardy region around Milan, followed by 14.4% in the central Lazio region around Rome
Italy goes ahead with the fight against homophobia and transphobia
On july 22 The Board of Justice of the House has approved the bill against homophobia and transphobia. Italy’s leading political parties have voted in favor.The following link shows the basic text. The bill extends the Mancino law -which only punishes acts of discrimination based on ethnic origin, nationality and religion – to acts of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender.[source]
Italian Minister Kyenge continues facing racial slurs
Since becoming Italy’s Minister of Integration, Congolese-born Cecile Kyenge has suffered racist and sexist abuse. The latest slur came over some days ago, when Senator Roberto Calderoli, deputy head of the Northern League in the Italian Senate, compared Kyenge’s features to that of an orangutan.[Source]
French National Observatory of Sensitive urban zones (ZUS) looks into a ¨territorial¨ discrimination
National Observatory of Sensitive urban zones (ZUS) is worried about the inhabitants of some ZUS. The study shows that there is a link between a physic address and chances to get a job in France. If you have a ¨bad¨ address, you probably face with discrimination during the recruitment process.[Source]
Dubai rape case Norwegian woman ‘free to go´
Norwegian young woman has been held by the authorities of Dubai during 4 months. After she was reporting rape to a local policy officer, she was accused of several infractions: extramarital relations, drinking alcohol and perjury.[Source]
