The Underground Economy Slows Down the Integration of Immigrants

Little has been written about territorial differences in integration among Italian immigrants. Recent events suggest that there are significant differences between the North and the South of the Peninsula. This impression seems to find confirmation in a recent study edited by Cesareo and Blangiardo on the "Indicators of integration", which shows that an integration index displays lower values on average in Southern provinces.

The factors behind territorial specificities in integration processes are manifold. One could be the difference in the ethnic composition of immigrants in various Italian regions. Very relevant are also disparities in social policy, both in general terms and relative to the plea of refugees, which are delegated to local administrations and are therefore an expression of their political decisions, as well as differences in tax bases. As far as I'm concerned, I'm persuaded that the integration of immigrants in its various dimensions is strongly favored by a correct entry into the labor market, in jobs that employ their skills and facilitate upward social mobility. It is worth noting that overeducated job candidates are much more frequent among immigrants than Italians. Recent ISTAT estimates that 12% of the labor force works under irregular or unlawful conditions; this figure doubles when referred to the South. Off-the-books, underground labor pushes immigrants toward low-skill, underpaid jobs and negatively affects their integration, in terms of housing, health, access to education and culture.

Being an informal worker means not to have access to papers guaranteeing a legal presence on the territory, thus perpetuating conditions of irregularity. These in turn often generate blatant phenomena of social exclusion. This is all the more true in the areas of the country where the underground economy is more widespread. Concluding, I think that reducing informal labor can facilitate integration processes and, at the same time, reduce territorial differences in this domain.

The absence of realistic channels of legal immigration into Italy, the emphasis on border controls, the strong link between having a labor contract and maintaining regular immigrant status, the recent introduction of the crime of clandestinity are all measures that make foreign workers easily vulnerable to blackmail on the labor market, with grave consequences for all other aspects of integration. The culture of the respect of labor laws must be heavily strengthened, increasing the number of workplace controls and devising a system of sanctions that provides an incentive for the immigrant (or Italian) irregular worker to cooperate with state authorities