Mafia and Illegal immigration to Italy

After Aslam's story got published with our project on migration from Pakistan to Italy, several people wondered about the links between mafia and illegal immigration to Italy and Europe.

Many immigrants reach Italy by paying a fortune to agents involved in lucrative businness of sending people abroad with fraudolent documentation.

Last February, after a two years long investigation, a criminal organization was arrested in Calabria -Southern Italy - for illegal immigration. Thanks to the investigating operation, named “Lion”, 67 people were arrested for aiding and abetting illegal immigration from India and Pakistan to Europe.

"Lion" operation shows how illegal immigration to Italy and Europe is more and more supported and managed by mafia and criminal organizations.

As confirmed by the Police Department, the criminal organization was helping immigrants to reach their relatives living in different places in Italy and to find a job there. They used fictious work agreements, necessary to get the visa and the residence permit. The agreements were provided by obliging entrepreneurs and contractors getting paid for that.

But how do criminal organizations operate? There are usually agents in Pakistan and in Italy. From their own countries, migrants contact the Pakistani living in Italy involved in it. After paying an advance, they have their documents forwarded to the contractors, who provide them with the permit to work in their own firms. The work is only a pretext, an excuse to get the residence permit. The consequence is that hundreds of illegal immigrants reach Italy without having a real job there and they often they ran into debt in their own country, in order to pay the required amount: 10.000 to 18.000 Euro, including documentation, flight and accommodation in Italy.

There is another consequence: the permits belonging to immigrants not interested in living in Italy any more are sold to new immigrants, thus supporting illegal immigration.

This is not happening only with immigrants from Pakistan, but also from other countries, especially from Asian countries, India and North Africa.

About ten days ago "Unsung Ambassadors" - the project I wrote with Amer Farooq and Waqar Gillani after ICFJ workshop in Alexandria, Egypt - got published in Italy, in Italian language. After its publication online by one of the leading newspapers called "l'Unità", it was picked up by several blogs and media outlets.

I received many feedbacks and comments on it, especially from immigrants, coming not only from Pakistan, and living in different regions in Italy. They appreciated the fact that media covered their condition without depicting them as criminal or religiuos fanatics. They appreciated the chance to speak by their own voice.

I had many feedbacks from Italian people too: from people working with immigrants for integration and mutual understanding, but also from people who could see immigration from a different point of view. They asked me to write more stories about these topics and that's what I'm trying to do.

I realized that many immigrants like talking about their own experience in Italy and share their perceptions and opinions about Italians and life in Italy. They also have stereotypes and prejudices towards Italians.

Unfortunately, the piece was picked up also by some blogs and websites promoting racism and hatred towards immigrants. This made me work even harder to go beyond prejudices and help shifting people's perspective, making diversity an asset and not a barrier. I believe that as journalists we have powerful tools - words - and a big responsibility, too.