11 minutes agoAttitudes against Albanians of the new Italian government: They enter the EU, we get out. What do you say?
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)The new Italian government was sworn in. The vow leaves behind a host of unknowns for Italians, the European Union itself and for thousands of Albanians living and working there. What should Albanians expect from the new government? Matteo Salvin, in the Guiseppe Contes government, will head the interior ministry. The history of the early statements of [...]
What should Albanians expect from the new government? Matteo Salvin, in the Guiseppe Contes government, will head the interior ministry. The history of its early anti-imigration statements is rich, but in one case, it directly comments with racist tones towards Albania and Albanians.
“Albania is the new candidate country to join the European Union. For the sake of history, economics, the past and the future, let's say no to Europe as a supermarket. A difficult battle? Maybe, but to fight to the end. P. S: Make a trade? They come in, we go out? As you say”, he addresses his Facebook followers in 2014, a day after Albania received candidate status.
A year ago, he was again targeting illegal immigration, using Albanians as an example. Shares a news report from the black chronicle in his account.
Albanian “Banda was arrested for organising parties filled with sex and drugs in an apartment where illegal immigrants lived. What Italy is building us PD!”, he writes.
With the approach of elections, his overall tone of migration and in particular to Albanians softened. It started bringing examples of integration. One of them was 23-year-old Mike Rooster, a member of Lega Nord.
I'm an immigrant son. I was born here in Italy. I never felt myself discriminated against. We as a family have followed and respected the rules and the Lega requires that all respect the rules”, Mike Rooster declared in 2017.
But not everyone has Mike Rooster's destiny. In Italy there are thousands of Albanians with temporary permission to stay and work, whose fate is questioned by the policies the new government will pursue, especially the Interior Ministry led by Matteo Salvin.
Another change could be expected in Italy's steadfast stance on Albania's integration path to the European Union. With a Eurosceptic coalition, this support could be shaken, probably not as early as 22-23 June, when the Council of Europe will meet and decide whether to open negotiations with Albania, or not in the long term changes may be in place. /tchave
