Puglia Region
Conference on
European Platform against Poverty and Exclusion
29/05/2013 at Committee of the Region.
Migrant’s inclusione in Puglia Region.
Puglia’s economy is marked by the coexistence of innovation and tradition, where the service industry leads the economy as main productive sector (trading, commerce, and tourism representing more than 50% of the total regional economy), followed by the agricultural sector. Given the particular characteristics of these sectors, there is a relevant presence of migrants employed in agriculture and services industry. We count actually 95.709 foreign people living in Puglia (equal to 2,1% of the overall population), increased by 13,5% in the last years, with an high presence of women (53,7% of the overall migrants) and young people (more than 50%): the main countries of origin are Albania, Morocco and China.
Best practice no.1 – The “Albergo diffuso”.
The project “Albergo Diffuso” aims to provide temporary shelter and housing for migrants seasonal workers, in order to help and realize their integration in the new country. Puglia Region has been financing this initiative with 1.78 mln € (already allocated), as a part of a total investment of 4 mln € (for other 6 centres). The funding source is the ERDF Operational Program Puglia 2007/2013.
Actually there are 2 active centres located in different cities across the Region, in particular San Severo, Foggia and Cerignola, covering a overall amount of 11.489 migrants in a period ranging from December 2010 to December 2012. These centres help the migrants to integrate themselves in the new country and to adapt to its cultural uses and backgrounds, providing social services such as:
· free medical assistance,
· legal assistance,
· cultural mediation,
· literacy diffusion,
· job coaching and job orientation,
· food and personal healthcare services.
Best practice no.2 – Guaranteeing access to health care for undocumented migrants.
Considering the difficulties faced by these migrants with regard to the access to education and training, emergency living conditions, widespread presence of undeclared, illegal and irregular employment and the access to the health care system, the Regional Government have decided to fund the provision of a first – line assistance and basic health care services for residents temporarily living in Puglia. The funding source is the ERDF Operational Program Puglia 2007/2013.
This intervention has been implemented trough the following measures:
· the institution of 19 Health Care Centers on the territory for the health care needs of the undocumented migrants living in the Province of Foggia according to the results of the presence survey (2007);
· a Protocol entered into force with the Association “Medici senza frontiere” for the set up of first-line assistance points for the seasonal migrants (2008);
· a Protocol entered into force with AqP (the institutional body providing for water management in Puglia), for the set up of 22 first – line assistance points equipped with 22 water storage tanks (drinkable water) and 60 lavatories (2008 – 2011);
· the access to medical and pediatrician services and the provision of assistance for the EU citizens not assisted in their Country, by Regional Law no. 32 of 2009 (opposed by the national government claiming a violation of the Constitution, but declared fully legitimate by the Italian Supreme Court);
· the Protocol “Water and Sanitation”, signed by Emergency e AqP (2011) for the monitoring of the ongoing situation with regard to water and medical supplies in the areas where the health care centers operate.
These initiatives are undertaken pursuant to the following regional laws, decrees and communications:
· Regional Law no 32 of 2009, “Regulation for the hosting, the civil coexistence, and the integration of the migrants in Puglia – The role of the regional authority concerning the right to health care access for migrants”, and in particular articles 10.1, 10.7 and 4b;
· Circular no. 7/10/2008 “Landmarks for the full application of the regulation regarding health care assistance for the protection of the right to health care for foreign and EU citizens in Puglia”;
· The Document “Landmarks for the full application of the regulation regarding health care assistance for foreign and EU citizens in Puglia by the Italian Regional and Local Authorities”, redacted by the Committee for Migrants and health care services” (“Tavolo interregionale Immigrati e Servizi Sanitari”) and approved by the Regional Health Commission on the 21 of september 2011;
· a specific directive concerning the upload and the harmonization of the regional circular no. 71/10/08, adopted during the first semester of 2012 by the regional ministers for Welfare and Health Care adopted. The directive regulates the procedures to the access to the health care assistance for foreign and EU citizens.
Best practice no.3 – Housing for vulnerable groups.
Considering the current crisis many people have been loosing their job and, withy it, the sociability and the opportunities to access to minimum health care and social services.
To foster social inclusion, to face the emergency of living conditions (lack of decent housing, health and cleanness, malnutrition, etc) and to overcome discrimination, the Regional Government has invested in strengthening social infrastructures through resources coming from the ERDF Operational Program Puglia 2007/2013 – Axis III “Social Inclusion and services for the quality of life and local attractiveness” both with Objective 3.2 “Social Infrastructures” – Action 3.2.1 and Objective 3.4 – “Projects for legality and social security” – Action 3.4.1, to create homeless shelters and refuges for people in need, with the added value of social services.
The action 3.4.1 has been implemented through schedule arrangements with apulian Social Districts who, in the field of their institutional discretionarily and in order to meet local needs, have chosen the social infrastructures better complying with the local social requirements and have co – financed them with 25% of their own budget. This means that not all of 45 apulian Social Districts have answered to the Regional call, but the few ones are granting a sustainable project of social infrastructure at least for 5 years.
Nowadays, in this sector of infrastructures, the Regional Service “Policies for Social Wellbeing and Equal Opportunities” has subscribed 3 Plans of Social Infrastructures with the Social Districts of Fasano, Putignano and Gioa del Colle, moving about € 2,6 millions and creating 20 new job vacancies.
Detailing these three Plans:
· in Fasano, Province of Brindisi, it will be realized (by May 2104) a desk for socio – cultural integration of immigrants and a refuge for people in need, named “Stella Polare”, through which temporarily host vulnerable people (person without a family or whose family has difficulties, person with social fragilities ecc) with a limit of maximum 10 persons, and to supply information about rights, bureaucratic matters, education, socio – healthy first – aid, developing individual skills to emancipate themselves and to search a new job opportunity;
· in Putignano, Province of Bari, it will be realized (by November 2014) a nocturne homeless shelter equipped to host 24 persons and to supply desk – information for job advices and opportunities;
· in Gioia del Colle, Province of Bari, it will be realized (by September 2015) a desk for socio – cultural integration of immigrants and an intercultural centre, named “Incontrarsi al Sud”, through which supply information about rights, job vacancies, bureaucratic matters, education and socio – healthy first – aid.
For any request of further detail and information please contact:
Regione Puglia
Ufficio Rapporti con le Istituzioni dell'Unione Europea
Rue du Trone, 62
B-1050 Bruxelles
Tel. 0032-2-501.08.75
Fax 0032-2-501.08.77
email:
website: www.regione.puglia.it
Regione Puglia
Servizio Politiche Giovanili e Cittadinanza Sociale - Ufficio immigrazione
Lungomare Nazario Sauro, 31
70121 Bari (Italy)
Tel. 0039.0805406166 / 080.5406018
Fax 0039.0805406222
email:
website: www.regione.puglia.it
Regione Puglia
Servizio Politiche di Benessere Sociale e Pari Opportunità
Tel. 0039.0805403562/ 080.5403376
email:
Regione Puglia
Servizio Programmazione Sociale e integrazione Socio Sanitaria
Tel. 0039.0805403542
email:
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