Ukrainians, along with other foreigners who work legally in Italy, each year enrich the country's social fund by 8 billion euros. Such data have been published by the Institute for Social Security in Italy. According to the findings of a research institution, it is more profitable to keep such migrants in the Apennines than to help the countries of their origin. Experts' opinion caused criticism among right-wing politicians.
From Rome, our correspondent Natalia Zherevchuk reports:
"If Italy suddenly decided to help migrants in their countries instead of accepting them in Italy ,then the state would be doomed to bankruptcy, economist Tito Boerie believes, coming from from the fact that, according to him," legal immigrants pay social contributions annually at amount of 8 billion euros and receive 3 billion euros of retirement benefits. "
Experts also point out that most of the local migrants are people under 35, that is, far from retirement age. Therefore, foreign workers, including many Ukrainians, greatly enrich the Italian pension fund, but enjoy social security in the country to a much lesser extent.
These facts gave grounds to the right-wing Italian lawmakers to say that migrants got jobs from Italian youth who were forced to emigrate. Senator from the extreme right wing party "Northern League" Roberto Calderoli emphasizes at the same time a high level
of youth unemployment in Italy, which is almost 40 percent.
But the conclusions of the right-wing politicians are far from reality, says columnist Corriere della Sera Aldo Grasso. Young Italians who travel abroad - almost all high graduates, qualified professionals who are looking for and often find appropriate prestigious work. So, the Italians are emigrating not because other people came to their place collecting tomatoes or performing other unskilled work, summarizes journalist Grasso.
The Apennines are officially home to 5 million immigrants. Ukrainians are the fifth largest community of foreigners, numbering more than 250 thousand people. Informal sources indicate that number of Ukrainians in Italy is significantly more than half a million. "
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