"On immigration, we have a very clear and precise idea," said the governor of Italy's northwestern province Piedmont, Alberto Cirio, after an April 4 visit to new temporary immigration offices in the regional capital Turin. Cirio comes from an agricultural background and has a degree in Jurisprudence. He has been in politics since he was young and was made deputy-secretary of the Forza Italia party, founded by the late-Silvio Berlusconi, in February 2024.

"I believe that there needs to be rigor and intransigence against those who arrive in our country in irregular ways or are involved in illegality, which needs to be fought against," he added. "But for this very reason, on the other hand, the people who are in our country and respect the rules should be assisted with care." 

Cirio was accompanied by police commissioner Paolo Sirna during the visit to the offices, where foreign nationals go to have their stay permits issued and renewed and which for the past month have been hosted in a building owned by the regional government in Corso Bolzano.

"Today I saw conditions that are much different from those in Corso Verona," where the former offices were located, he noted, saying that "if this regional government was able to contribute [to this], I consider myself a satisfied governor."

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 'Work underway for long-term solution' 

"This is the crowning of a commitment that we made," said Cirio, noting that "we had two issues that concern people, which always come first: people who are legally on our territory, who come to request a document that is their right since they entered our country legally, and the conditions in which people working here are subjected to, since inadequate facilities are such both for those using them and those working in them." 

Cirio reiterated that "it was necessary to find a solution. The police headquarters and the prefect's office have identified a long-term solution," and "work is underway to move [the offices]. However, it was necessary to undertake work to ensure the dignity of people" using these facilities.

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"A large sense of responsibility and humanity have significantly improved the lives of many people who are coming on a daily basis to request a document or a stay permit and who have every right to it," commissioner Sirna said. 

"We also opened an office in Via Botticelli, increased the availability of officers in the police headquarters, started a decentralization process in some branch offices, introduced an online reservation system, and increased the number of personnel," the commissioner said. 

He noted that the time required for stay permits, "which varies depending on the type, is decreasing a bit, in part because we introduced working methods that are different from those in the past. In addition, we have synergies with associations, local authorities, and town councils that are acting to help users and whose activities are the focus of a Memorandum of Understanding being drafted and that the prefect's office is coordinating." 

As for logistical solutions, Sirna said, "the important thing for us was to leave Corso Verona and we managed to do this. A procedure is now underway that foresees, over the medium term -- we hope by autumn -- to transfer all the immigration offices to Santo Volto [in buildings that currently host the archbishopric next to the Santo Volto church, Ed.], for which we thank the willingness of Cardinal Repole to assist."

"Over the long term," he added, "we are considering the building of an autonomous building in our complex on Largo Tirreno. We are in the planning stages and later there will be the need for funding and then the works themselves: thus, years will be needed."