78,000 Filipinos Face Arrest in Italy

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 23, 2002

78,000 Filipinos Face Arrest in Italy

At least 78,000 undocumented Filipinos in Italy are facing arrest and deportation, the Philippine Star newspaper reported Monday.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

At least 78,000 undocumented Filipinos in Italy are facing arrest and deportation, the Philippine Star newspaper reported Monday.

The report quoted a Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) official as saying that the Italian government has given foreign workers without proper documents until next month to legalize their status.

"There are few Filipino migrants who have submitted to the Italian government the requirements necessary for the legalizationprocess," said the official, who asked not to be named.

Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas said, "we are expecting all of them to avail themselves of regularization program because that is the most logical thing to do to avoid arrest and deportation."

Under a new Italian immigration law, all foreigners without working permits shall be arrested and deported.

Since Sept. 9, the Italian government has been implementing thenew law to flush out the estimated 247,000 foreigners illegally staying in that country.

Italy is one of the top destinations of Filipino workers, a majority of whom entered the country using tourist visas and foundjobs as care-givers and domestic helpers.

The Commission on Filipino Overseas Workers believes that thereare about 1.6 million undocumented Filipinos worldwide.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Britain to Have Two Million Migrants in Next Decade

14 Would-Be Migrants Die off Sicily

Know Who to Love, Who to Hate ( 2 Messages)

China to Build up Oil Stockpile ( 2 Messages)

China Since 1990: Facts and Figures Tell of Rising Prosperity ( 26 Messages)

Dozens Could Have Died in Food Poisoning in Nanjing ( 19 Messages)

China Hopes to See Iraqi Issue Resolved Within UN Framework ( 43 Messages)