Indian Agricultural Workers Descend on Italy
03/07/2008 by Ajay Hasija
According to a report in the Economic Times, an increasing number of Indian Agricultural Workers are descending upon Italy in order to find substantial work.
Italy is emerging as one of the most popular destinations for many Indian agricultural workers and professionals across continental Europe. This in turn has led in an upsurge in the numbers of Indians whom are opting to travel to Italy.
Figures suggest that the number of visas issued in India have increased by over 46%.This new labour drive is aiding Italy in their quest to fill worker quotas and meet high demand for labour.
The newly formed relationship between the countries has resulted in schemes being implemented in order to gain a better understanding of various sectors and the requirement of immigrant workers from India. It was reported that this initiative has also been extended to industry bodies and federations based in Italy.
Playing a part in the global marketplace, it seems Italy has been taking its learning's from its increased appeal to Indian workers and is subsequently seeking to attract greater numbers of highly skilled workers. This is with the hope of securing more joint ventures between companies in Italy and India.
Dr Gabriele Annis, Head of the Consular Section and First Secretary Political and Consular at the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi says that "efforts to tap non-EU countries such as India in order to meet labour demands in Italy have occurred through managed migration."
It is thought that India will continue to see an increase in visa applications to Italy, especially as many workers opt to settle and build a future. This will have a domino effect resorting in family members and dependents seeking visas to join them.
Statistics again show a large increase of 183% in the family reunion visa category. In total records for visas show a rise of 79% in employment visas and a 10% increase in business visas.
Commenting on the reasoning behind the results Annis says that, "There has not been any significant easing of rules for family reunion visas - the significant increase in that category shows the enlargement of the Indian community in Italy."
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