Around 250 people staged a protest march against government measures which they claim "make it harder to release a residence permit" in Palermo, southern Italy, on Monday (January 13). The march from Piazza del Parlamento to the local prefecture was planned by the organization Right 2 Be. Among those who participated in the demonstration were immigrants from different regions across the southern Italian region of Sicily.

Migrant activists demand 'documents for all'

"From Agrigento to Catania, Ragusa, Partinico, we have decided to take part in the demonstration for our brothers and sisters who have big legal problems, even though they have been living in Sicily for several years", explained Ibrahin Demme, a member of Right 2 Be.

Members of the organization, who carried banners reading "home, jobs, documents for all', demanded to meet with the prefect of Palermo, Massimo Mariani, so he could speak with interior ministry officials about a number of issues protesters consider important for their future.

"This government's propaganda, which continues to describe migrants as a weight on the country, clashes with reality. Thousands of women and men who arrive in Italy are exploited while they enable the survival of entire economic sectors like farming and construction", said Demme.

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Protest against Bossi-Fini immigration law, Cutro decree

"We ask for the abolition of the Bossi-Fini [immigration law established in 2002, which still governs much of Italy's immigration policy], which ties the release of a stay permit to employment and forces migrants to accept any condition (of employment), even the most dire", Demme said. He also argued that the so-called Cutro decree, passed after the deadly 2023 shipwreck off Calabria, which the government said was aimed at fighting irregular migration, "has further restricted terms for the release of a residence permit."

"We want people to be eligible to get Italian citizenship after they have been in the country for five years, regardless of what their residency status is and whether they meet the minimum income requirement (of more than 8,000 euros)," he said. Demme added: "We also ask for flow decrees for the direct access of citizens from non-EU countries to be scrapped, enabling them to enter Italy for a period of 24 months to look for a job or to get professional training, with a specific stay permit."

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