Yesterday, the Italian television program “Le Iene” transmitted a reportage on the way in which underage Albanian children acquire a regular residency permit in Italy.
According to the Italian immigration law, any child under the age of eighteen years that is abandoned by its parents and in difficult living circumstances, may acquire a residency permit, with the state providing education and housing.
This “comfortable” way is not unknown in Albania. Many Albanian families bring their children a few months before their eighteenth birthday to Italy. Subsequently the children present themselves to the Italian authorities where they declare that they are abandoned and in difficult circumstances.
The number of children that arrive in Italy in this manner is considerable, to such an extent that housing has become a serious issue.
The city of Piacenza houses the largest number of Albanian children declared abandoned. According to Stefano Cugini, in charge of social welfare at the Municipality of Piacenza, 73% of all “abandoned” children is Albanian.
This is responsibility of the Albanian state, which is aware of the situation but doesn’t do anything, he further states.
Cugini confirms that this problem has also been reported to the Albanian consulate in Milan, and that he has even sent some Albanians boys to be housed there. But rather than taking care of the children, the consulate called the police, closed the door of the consulate, and stated that it is not equipped to deal with such cases.
Also the investigative team of “Le Iene” has visited the Albanian consulate in Milan, requesting a meeting with Consul General Anila Pojani in order to ask her about the measures that have been take to solve this issue. Pojani confirmed that “we have informed our ministry about the problem.” Another, unidentified, employee of the consulate added that “the ministry is busy with other things.”
