In Italy, Calabria's regional authorities have announced that they will grant additional funding to local administrations to provide housing to migrants in Piana di Gioia Tauro. The funds are also intended to be spent on the promotion of integration efforts.
The prefect of Reggio Calabria, Michele di Bari, held a meeting with local authorities in which he announced the relocation of immigrants currently residing in shanty towns in the area of the Piana di Gioia Tauro in a bid to promote their further integration, his office said in a statement.
During the meeting, di Bari signed a protocol of agreement with local authorities to promote a set of integration policies. Regional Councilor Angela Robbe said that the regional government will be actively supporting the integration projects promoted by local authorities through the Italian Fund for Asylum, Migration and Integration (FAMI), including measures to set up a fund for apartment owners renting to immigrants.
Cooperation across various government levels
Local administrators who attended the meeting confirmed they were willing to accept prefabricated homes in the area
to house migrants. The Interior Ministry will be in charge of providing the modules, they said in a statement. The municipal government of Reggio Calabria will meanwhile provide the necessary assistance to instal the homes.
The statement also said that local employers' associations and labor unions also offered their help, stressing the importance of defending workers' rights and fighting any form of exploitation.