The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna has sent a letter to the national government reporting that some 16 million euros that have been spent by its local administrations to host unaccompanied foreign minors have not been reimbursed.
Emilia-Romagna's Welfare Councilor, Isabella Conti, has written to the Ministries of the Interior and the Economy to demand the full reimbursement of expenses paid for by municipal administrations to host unaccompanied foreign minors.
According to a statement, an estimated 16 million euros have not been paid back to the region, "a sum hampering the financial sustainability of the hosting system."
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Hosting and integration system needs to be boosted, says region
In the document, Conti asked to change a system under which a specific sum is allocated by the central government for a period of three months, regardless of the specific needs of local administrations, exposing them to potential financial imbalances, and to boost the SAI hosting system for migrants to guarantee stable and dignified integration programs across the territory.
"We have welcomed with favour the recent public statements" made by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, "in which he guaranteed that the budget will reallocate resources" to cover expenses from previous years, observed Conti.
However, she added, "until concrete action is taken, including for the future of the hosting system", the region will continue, together with the national association of Italian municipalities (ANCI) and municipal governments, "to ask the Government for an urgent meeting to give actual and prompt answers to mayors who, on a daily basis, take charge of a responsibility that belongs to the State first".
According to the councillor, Emilia-Romagna remains open to hosting but cannot be left alone in guaranteeing fundamental rights to minors without a family.
"A clear, stable and coherent national governance is necessary with principles of fairness and shared responsibility", noted Conti.
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In Emilia Romagna, 8.82 percent of unaccompanied minors in Italy
As of March 31, the region was hosting 1,362 unaccompanied foreign minors (UFMs), or 8.82 percent of the national total of 16,187 units, down from the peaks reported over the 2022-2023 period.
The metropolitan city of Bologna hosts 33.11 percent of the regional total, followed by Ravenna (9.99 percent), Modena (9.25 percent) and Forlì-Cesena (9.3 percent).
Nearly 80 percent of unaccompanied foreign minors are males and 43 percent are 17 years of age. About half of the minors are hosted within SAI projects while the other half are part of authorized educational communities.
Some 77 percent have a residence permit for minors while 8 percent have international protection. The main countries of provenance are Ukraine, Tunisia, Egypt and The Gambia.
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