ROME -- The Italian Episcopal Conference has made an appeal to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to address the humanitarian situation of the migrants who have arrived in Italy.  The call came from Monsignor Gian Carlo Perego, the director general of the Episcopal Conference’s Migrant Foundation, during an interview made on Sunday, who said, “The forgotten population is growing, so much so that within the year it could number around 40,000 migrants.”

 “The government must value the possibility of a humanitarian residency permit for migrants to avoid creating an invisible and exploited population.”  He continued, “The current territorial commission are operating on the basis of a list of safe countries and are negating any form of international or humanitarian protection sometimes for nine out of ten applicants.”

 “This situation will create a grave phenomena, because the government won’t be capable of repatriating people, the same people they have made untraceable and the country will create a situation of insecurity for migrants or residents.”  According to Perego, “a tool needs to be used that comes from the sole legislation on immigration, which is a decree from the Prime Minister that offers the possibility of a humanitarian permit for people fleeing from environmental disasters, political or religious persecution, from serious exploitation.”

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