Is Italy a racist country?

If you should ask the above question in Italy, the answer will depend largely on who you ask – an Italian or a foreign national.

The subject of racism has always raised a heated debate when it comes for discussion, whilst those who face the acts of discrimination, injustice, callous and sometimes inhuman treatment consider it as racism and claim they are in it, those who carry out these acts say it’s not the factor at all.

The story of how a Ghanaian student, Emmanuel Bonsu Foster, aged 22 and resident in Parma, claimed he was given a real ‘roasting’ by being beaten by six Italian Municipal police officers in a 3-hour ordeal believing he is a ‘drug pusher’ has generated a heated debate and wide media attention in Italy as to whether or not Italy is a racist country.

The Italian Government has been out trying to defend a stand it should not labelled as racist and anyone found to have faulted in the arrest of Emmanuel Bonsu will face the full rigours of the law. On the other hand, the opposition parties to Government are using the incident to score some political points arguing the Government is out to get immigrants, discriminating against them and describing it as no other than xenophobia.

At the tail end of the twists and turns of it all some factors can be weighed in drawing to a conclusion.

Italy is the only country in the western world that has opened its doors more often for illegal immigrants in the country to regularise their stay. Statistics points out, for more than six occasions in about two decades Italian Government(s) has allowed illegal immigrants to have legal stay. In addition its law, ‘Flussi’, has further enabled both Italian citizens and legally resident immigrants to invite foreign nationals into the country and been given the requisite documents to stay and work. That shows it has a heart for immigrants.

However, it has not only been about extending a welcome flag for foreigners, the Government has made some gains as immigrants take on most of the jobs that Italian citizens would not put a hand in but needed for economic growth, as immigrants creates certain jobs for Italians - among others, buying telephone cards to call their country, sending money to their relations back home - and that is generating a huge income, there are those doing domestic work taking care of Italian pensioners whose labour has contributed greatly to help the nation yet they have been neglected with nobody to care for them. The Government in a space of 18 months between 2006 and 2008 has raked in an amount of €120 million (one hundred and twenty million euros) from the backs of some 170,000 immigrants in the country in the course of processing their permit stay documents – as processing fees. Latest statistics indicates immigrants are contributing around 9% of the gross national product.

But in all these, has immigrants made any gains? They are groaning with the reason that in granting the permit stay the bulk stops there with no pragmatic system in place to integrate them into the society. They believe that they are being exploited with nobody to defend them, fearing the worse also for their children. They hold the view that they have been confined to do certain jobs and every opportunity to expand their potential is being impeded with stringent and absurd laws.

They believe the degree of racism is such that if you scratch the back of any immigrant in Italy, more especially from African origin, you can find traces of injustices, discrimination or a wicked act if not at the hands of a public officer other Italian. It’s on this basis they are raising concern and want it to be addressed by the Italian Government.

The story of Emmanuel Bonsu is not the only incident for reference that raises these concerns. There have been incidents were immigrants have cried foul on the treatment or death of their compatriot at the hands of doctors. Abdul Salem Guibre, a native of Burkina Faso was recently clubbed to death with an iron bar by his assailants - a shop owner and his son. The reason? They claimed the young man and his three African friends have stolen a packet of biscuits from their shop. At the spot where young Abdul fell before his death the police didn’t find the alleged stolen commodity.

An immigrant living legally in the country for almost two decades, working regularly and paying taxes, had wanted to be a taxi driver but was denied because he is not an Italian citizen and it’s no fun you hardly (if not at all) see a foreign national at the wheels of a public transport.

This present Government, some few years ago, asked all immigrant mothers who filed for a new baby grant of €1,000 and got paid to refund the amount with interest, if they are not Italian citizens. The next Government, under Prime Minister Prodi, averted the decision which would have put more than 10,000 immigrants (who were believed to have illegally collected the money) before the courts after they have been charged for failing to refund the amount.

The Government’s new method for the processing of new and renewal of the staying permit appears as if it has ‘extortion’ written all over it with applicants not receiving the satisfactory service they have paid for. The procedure for processing is so poor by the time most of them receive the document it has almost expired and they are on their way, grinding their teeth, to start renewal procedures all over as they pay another fee.

Again this ruling Government’s proposal of a points system to give the permit stay (‘soggiorno’) based on the country’s driving licence system will be a worrying factor to immigrants if implemented. The proposal could be interpreted to mean an immigrant to be given the permit stay may be awarded, for example, 20 points. Any offence will reduce the points and when it comes to zero the stay permit is revoked. This is unheard of anywhere in the world.

Is Italy really a racist country? You can connect the dots to draw your own conclusions. - Reggie Tagoe (e-mail: r.tagoe@tele2.it)