Immigration, the president of INPS, Tito Boeri, takes the field. Against the tide and in favor of regular immigration: without their contribution, INPS and state accounts would suffer. The 8 billion in social security contributions paid and the 3 they receive in terms of pensions and other benefits, have generated a net balance - Boeri stated in a hearing before the commission of inquiry on migrants, in the Chamber - which amounts to a good 5 billion for the INPS coffers.
If foreign workers were subtracted, in 2040 there would be a drop in revenues of 73 billion, in expenditures of 35, for a total cost of 38 billion.
In response to supporters of the so-called "crowding out", i.e. the idea that migrants are the main cause of unemployment in Italy, Boeri stated that "workers who have been regularized with amnesties have not taken away opportunities from their colleagues", and he stressed that the "crowding-out" effect is very small and affects only low-skilled workers. On the other hand, there are no effects for the most skilled workers, either in terms of employment opportunities or wages”.
He also argued that “Closing the borders would be a real blow to Italian pensions. Integration into the labor market would also help improve the perception that Italians have of immigrants"
The regularization of immigrant workers has brought about decidedly positive effects, the work time otherwise carried out illegally has increased. From the analyzes of the amnesties of 2002 and 2012 it has been documented that the share of under 25s who start contributing to INPS has gone from 27,5% in 1996 to 35% in 2015. Today 80% of immigrants are taxpayer to INPS coffers also in the five years after the regularization
Statements that have sparked the Northern League opposition. Roberto Calderoli who attacks: “if the percentage of social security contributions of young immigrants has risen by 35%, at the same time the percentage of young unemployed Italians has increased by 40%. It can only be deduced that the crowding-out effect has occurred”.
Boeri also spoke about the incentives for the birth rate “ It's not the temporary bonuses that change the propensity of Italians to reproduce. In any case, an increase in the number of Italian children would have an effect on the pension system only in the long term, because it would be necessary to wait for newborns to reach the age to work and to be able to actively contribute to the social security system”. The contribution of regular immigrants would therefore remain fundamental.
