New integration partnership between the Ministry of Interior and the Italian Episcopal Conference
The Italian Interior Ministry and the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting integration by providing reception and inclusion initiatives for migrants holding a (temporary) residence permit.
The document establishes the commitment of the Ministry of Interior and CEI to promote agreements between municipalities and local ecclesiastical bodies, in order to enhance social and housing support and inclusion activities for refugees and asylum seekers in vulnerable conditions. A permanent technical committee is being established to identify and monitor the most appropriate initiatives.
New programmes promote migrant educational inclusion and achievement
A new project aimed at fostering school inclusion and linguistic integration, for students with a migrant background, was launched in several schools in Rome. The ‘Removing Barriers’ project represents a new approach to the inclusion of migrant students and can be seen as an inspiring example for other regions.
Set to operate until the end of 2026, the project will secure better comprehension, expression, and active participation on the part of students, while facilitating school–family communication through cultural and linguistic mediation. Teachers and school staff will be supported by training and mentoring programmes.
Elsewhere, the ISMU Foundation launched one of the initiatives of the “Bridges – Equal Opportunities in Educational Pathways” project, which aims to promote educational success for students with a migration background and/or in conditions of educational poverty. The initiative, a training course, targets teachers and educators. Since July 2024 the project has reached 537 people (against an initial target of 200), including 303 students with a migration background, 78 parents and 51 teachers and educators.
Efforts increase to combat labour exploitation in agriculture
Migrant labour exploitation has been a crucial topic for Italian institutions over the last decade. Recently, along with several initiatives carried out at the local level within different EU-funded projects, an inter-ministerial meeting renewed efforts to counter labour exploitation and promote the socio-labour inclusion of migrant workers.
Notably, the meeting included Ministers Marina Calderone (Labour), Francesco Lollobrigida (Agriculture), and Matteo Piantedosi (Interior), along with social partners. Discussions focused on improvements to the regulatory framework, enhanced labour inspections and technological investments to strengthen enforcement actions.
