The solutions proposed by right to stop "the invasion of migrants in Italy” are not only useless – because, “data in hand, there is no invasion” – but also completely impracticable, as they are illegal and dangerous. This is the opinion of Massimo Livi Bacci, professor emeritus of Demography at the University of Florence, honorary president of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population and academic of the Lincei.
Migrants: the "naval blockade" is an act of war
In an interview with the Reformist, Livi Bacci explains that the “naval blockade”, an old dot from Fratelli d'Italia, should be considered as “an act of war”, and therefore it is impossible to put it into practice “unless we too want to contribute to world disorder”.
“Mass pushbacks? They are illegal”
As for i mass pushbacks, cherished on several occasions also by the League, the teacher underlines that it is a practice contrary to international law: “A single person can be 'rejected', by examining the particular case, and having ascertained that he/she is not deserving of protection or asylum, according to methods well established by law – argues Livi Bacci – You cannot reject all the passengers of a boat, of a ship, a bus, without the careful examination of individual cases. International law forbids it, the sense of responsibility of a civil state also”.
Italy needs "massive flows" of migrants
In general, according to the Professor, in Italy we are faced with a paradox: on the one hand, “il migration debate has regressed in a worrying way”; on the other, “our country continues to express a strong demand for immigrant labour”, therefore, “if we want to maintain our living standards, our capacity for development and to compete internationally, we will have to absorb massive flows of migrants in the coming decades".
[Read also - Demography, Livi Bacci: "We need 2-300 thousand immigrants a year"]
It is necessary to invest in the inclusion of immigrants
Immigrants, therefore, “will give a vital contribution to the country”, but only if the State will be farsighted enough to invest in them: “Invest to include economically, socially and culturally – continues Livi Bacci – Or do we perhaps want migrants to remain “excluded”, by the hundreds of thousands, by the millions, kept outside the doors of our society?”.
In summary, even if "immigration is criminalized by at least half of the Italian political forces", we have a great need for it: "There is no doubt about this - concludes Livi Bacci - Even the Northern League know it, even if they don't say it . With a decreasing population, decreasing young people, a very low birth rate, we we have a strong need for immigration".
