Italy's main humanitarian-medical organizations have sent a letter to Parliament, denouncing that a decree on immigration and security, known as the ''Salvini decree', could have serious implications on the right to health of migrants.
The 'Salvini' decree on immigration and security, named after Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, will have ''serious implications on the right to health of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees on Italian territory'', the main medical and humanitarian organizations working with migrants in Italy have said in a letter sent to Lower House and Senate whips.
The letter was signed by the Jesuit Centro Astalli, medical association Emergency, the NGO INTERSOS, the Italian society of medicine of migration Società Italiana di Medicina delle Migrazioni, Medici contro la Tortura (Doctors against torture), Médecins du Monde, Doctors for Human Rights and Doctors Without Borders.
The main issues according to NGOs
The main issue of concern for NGOs is the fact that the residence permit for humanitarian reasons is scrapped in the decree, potentially leading to ''a higher rate of irregularities and more vulnerability in terms of health." Moreover, although they are allowed for serious health reasons, ''the criteria with which they will be assigned is unclear, while the shorter duration and the fact that they cannot be converted into working permits will limit the possibility of accessing welfare and integration processes'', the NGOs wrote in a statement. They also expressed ''concern'' for the reform of the Italian hosting system for asylum seekers and refuges 'SPRAR' ''considered a virtuous model across Europe, which will only be destined to those who are entitled to international protection and to new residency permits in special cases, as well as for unaccompanied migrant minors''.
In this way, ''asylum seekers will be excluded from training and integration projects provided for by SPRAR and will be forced to stay for lengthy periods of time in Extraordinary Hosting Centers (CAS) with potentially serious repercussions on their physical and psychological health''. The letter continued stressing the long periods of time that will be spent by migrants at hotspots and in Centers of Permanence and Repatriation, with people who have not committed a crime potentially spending a period of detention of up to seven months.
Decree 'undermines migrant rights'
The letter noted that the safeguard of migrants' health implies ''full access to healthcare services'' as well as the preservation of their rights including ''housing, an income'', a good living environment and employment which ''determine the physical and mental health of people''. This is especially true for people who have survived trauma and abuse in their home country or during their travels. ''The decree seriously undermines all this'', the organizations said. A number of issues have been included in amendments proposed by some lawmakers. If the legislation is not amended, the organizations that signed the letter said they firmly oppose the decree's conversion into law.