A seminar on the topic “Between emigration and equal opportunities: working in Europe” was held from 13-15 October 2023, organised by UNAIE (Unione Nazionale delle Associazioni degli Immigrati ed Emigrati - national union of immigrant and emigrant associations), in collaboration with EZA and funded by the European Union.
70 representatives of workers' organisations from Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Portugal, France, Germany, Belgium, Albania and the United Kingdom (as guests), Albania, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Spain and Ukraine attended the seminar.
The seminar focused on discrimination and, in particular, the unequal treatment of migrants in the labour market. The speakers addressed this topic from various perspectives, with a focus on different countries. Besides the research-based aspect, participants also explored the perspective of trade unions, social associations and public authorities. Despite their differences, the experiences described by the different countries with their respective geographical, demographic and migrant characteristics agreed on one point: the current and urgent issue of the phenomenon of discrimination against migrants. There are country-specific variations in the sectors in which migrants are employed, from agriculture to tourism and food processing to personal services. However, there are also disturbing similarities in terms of exploitation, lack of transparency, violations of the law and discrimination in the both the world of work and in everyday life.
Discrimination was the central theme of numerous presentations. Francesca Alice Vianello was first to speak and kicked off by presenting the results of a European project. It was immediately clear that comparable discriminatory practices are carried out in many industries, depending on the country. Rossella Vignola set out the theory of intersectionality regarding the phenomenon of discrimination and described the gap between legislation and existing forms of protection that only target individual forms of discrimination, whereas in reality a combination of several factors in individual cases has a negative impact on working conditions, right up to discrimination in the termination of employment. Tomislav Durtka described the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the protection of minorities is a particularly complex and sensitive issue. The ethnic and linguistic diversity in his country has not only arisen following the recent waves of migration, but is also part of the European cultural heritage.
The search for opportunities for a peaceful coexistence is therefore a challenge that Europe has long accepted, but we are still far from a viable solution, which can only be achieved if every individual is able to feel integrated into a national community, while not discarding their culture of origin. Vincenzo Bertozzi used graphics and statistics to share insights with the participants on the demographic situation and intra-European mobility in Italy and the province of Trentino.
The lectures that took place on Saturday, 14 October, however, invited attendees to make international comparisons. Four talks focused on current and past migration in Bulgaria, Portugal, France and Spain. The migration flows of earlier times clearly benefited the receiving countries, despite the numerous difficulties and issues around understanding. The discussion essentially explored the factors that drove these developments: the reasons for emigration, the economic situation, language learning and the way in which migration flows were, and are, managed.
Two presentations were given on Saturday afternoon by Norma Mattarei and André Biveti on the social dimension of the needs of migrants. Norma Mattarei described the de facto discrimination that arises from everyday behaviour characterised by mistrust and distancing, and which is quite separate from any lack or flouting of the legal regulations. The second speaker, André Biveti, was unable to attend the event, two other contributions were therefore presented instead.
First, a greeting was read out from Italian MP, Fabio Porta, representing Italians in the South America constituency, who described the return of emigrants to their home country and the problems experienced around multiple identities. Yana Komitska then spoke as a contemporary witness about the painful and dramatic situation in Ukraine.
The afternoon was rounded off by a panel discussion with participants Reijna Cystri, Sophie Mengoni and Matteo Salvetti as representatives of trade unions and public bodies, whose daily task is to prevent and combat discrimination against employees. Participants presented concrete measures and information initiatives to prevent and tackle discrimination, and emphasised the importance of clear and full information to workers regarding employment contracts and their contractual rights and obligations, notably in view of the language and cultural barriers confronting migrants.
The event concluded on Sunday, 15 October with three closing contributions. Thomas Capone and Francesco Ober presented the activities of UNAIE and the EZA platform for young workers, which provided some food for thought and an opportunity for deeper reflection for young workers in the debate. Francesco Bocchetti, head of the Associazione Trentini nel Mondo (Association of the people of Trentino around the world) presented a project on the perception of Brexit and its consequences for families emigrating to the United Kingdom, and took the place of Elisabetta Zontini, who was unable to attend in person. The participants were then shown a short documentary film. Finally, Vittorino Rodaro concluded the event, which stressed decent work as a prerequisite for a decent life and social integration. This requires proper contracts, enlightened employees and responsible employers. The absence or inadequacy of the public sector in these areas, which is particularly evident in some countries, whether due to a lack of resources, but more often due to a lack of political will, represents a challenge for the workers' organisations, trade unions and social associations, who are required to assume a subsidiary role to the state and local governments.
UNAIE’s mission is to bring the issue of discrimination against migrants to the attention of the authorities via its branches both within and outside Italy, and serves as a contact and liaison point for other institutions directly on site, at home and abroad, in particular by providing information about the rights of returning migrants regarding citizenship and social integration.