The Italian association 3 Febbraio is calling for all migrants in the country to be granted stay permits. They want to ensure that they have access to healthcare amid the Covid-19 emergency.
In a statement published by 3 Febbraio on Monday, they said that "it is an injustice that those who do not have papers are literally trapped. They do not have the right to healthcare nor can they freely help those close to them." They called for "a general amnesty for all the refugees and immigrants currently in Italy."
According to 3 Febbraio, the coronavirus emergency has made life even more precarious for many migrants. "Living conditions have grown worse: asylum seekers
are stuck and crowded together in centers, many others are exploited in
the fields or factories, and others are losing their jobs with no safety
net," they said.
"We are experiencing a pandemic that brings humanity into question, wherever you are," their statement continued. "We can truly deal with this emergency only if we learn to deal with it together in a humane manner."
Italy: Most Covid-19 cases in Europe
Italy is the country that has been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, and one of the worst affected countries globally. As of April 1, over 105,000 cases of Covid-19 (the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus) have been confirmed in Italy, according to the John Hopkins University. Over 12,000 people have died.
Italy also has one of the largest migrant populations within Europe, largely because it is located in southern Europe, across the Mediterranean Sea from northern Africa.