Even under a far-right coalition, Italy does not turn its back on labor immigration. The country plans to welcome a new quota of workers from the Maghreb.
On Monday, November 4th, Tunisian Minister of Social Affairs Issam Lahmar met with Italian Minister of Labour and Social Policies Marina Elvira Calderone.
The meeting focused mainly on bilateral cooperation between the two countries, particularly concerning migration and the protection of Tunisians abroad, within the framework of the THAMM PLUS project (2024-2027).
Italy will grant visas to 2,000 Tunisian workers:
The Italian minister mentioned new legislation allowing for the hiring of Tunisians for permanent positions as part of regular migration.
The Italian minister’s visit to Tunisia is part of launching a series of training sessions for Tunisian labor in the construction sector, intended to work in Italy for a period of three years.
THAMM PLUS is a program implemented by the European Union:
It runs for 48 months (2024-2027) and aims to enhance regular and sustainable mobility pathways for labor between Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and EU member states.
Tunisia was added to this program by Italian authorities in March. Through this program, which provides training for those wishing to work in construction, Italy plans to issue visas for about 2,000 Tunisians over three years.
By supporting construction through this program, Italy aims to address labor shortages:
According to Schengen News, by granting such a significant number of visas to pre-trained Tunisian construction workers, Italy intends to support its construction sector facing labor shortages.
