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Italians Want Immigrants to Take Values Test
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of people in Italy would like all immigrants seeking citizenship to take a test of Italian civic values, according to a poll by Arnaldo Ferrari Nasi. 80.2 per cent of respondents share this view.
Additionally, 76.9 per cent of respondents say immigrants who do not share Italian values or commit crimes should be stripped of their citizenship. On the other hand, 79.2 per cent of respondents want immigrants who contribute to a city’s economy to be allowed to vote in municipal elections.
In August 2008, the government of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi sent 3,000 military troops to patrol city streets across the country as part of a plan to curb crime and illegal immigration. A major outcry followed, with critics accusing Berlusconi of singling out Roma peoples as criminals. Pope Benedict XVI called for Catholics to help others stay away from "racism, intolerance and exclusion."
Earlier this month, two African-born migrants working in a farm in the southern region of Calabria said they were shot with pellet guns in what they say was a racially-motivated attack. The incident quickly evolved into a massive clash between hundreds of African workers, local residents of the town of Rosarno, and police. Hundreds of migrant workers fled the town two days later.
On Jan. 12, United Nations (UN) human rights officials Jorge Bustamante and Githu Muigai released a statement commenting on the Italian incident, calling the violence "extremely worrying since it reveals serious and deep-rooted problems of racism against these migrant workers."
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
|
|
Agree |
Disagree |
Not sure |
|
Immigrants who play a role in the economic life of a city, after a number of years, must have the right to vote in municipal elections |
79.2% |
15.4% |
5.4% |
|
All immigrants should take a course in Italian and civic values before being regularized |
80.2% |
18.5% |
1.3% |
|
Italian citizenship should be revoked if an immigrant is found to not share our values or commits crimes |
76.9% |
17.7% |
5.4% |
Source: Arnaldo Ferrari Nasi
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 Italian adults, conducted on Dec. 9 to Dec. 15, 2009. No margin of error was provided.
