Ecuador accuses Italy: the children of immigrants unfairly removed unemployed parents

Google translation from Website Amici dei Bambini (friends of Children) - Italian Adoption Agency

Date: 14/08/20

Ecuador accuses Italy: the children of immigrants are unfairly removed unemployed parents

Ecuador warned Italy in relation to immigrant children separated from their families and put in educational facilities of our country. To criticize the work of Italians was done by the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa , who spoke in Genoa in a meeting with thousands of immigrants from South America. Correa announced at that occasion that he will ask the Italian authorities to reconsider the mode of action on the withdrawal of custody of the children of unemployed Ecuadorians who live in Italy.

While confirming the respect for the institutions and the sovereignty Italian, Correa showed all his doubts about what is happening in our country to the detriment, according to him, the Ecuadorian families residing in the peninsula.

"It seems that the problem of children in Italy are removed from the custody of their parents and sent to foster homes - said Correa - is quite extensive. You could understand if there was violence, but these people, Ecuadorian emigrants, they revealed their concern, because the actions to remove their children were initiated because mom and dad were out of work " .

Correa reported that the Italian state pays about € 100 a day to keep every child in the educational structures . A choice that to the Ecuadorian president does not seem logical. "If we want to help children whose parents have lost their jobs - he said in his speech in Genoa - rather than take them away to the parents and to pay 100 euro per day to the host communities, it would be better to give 100 euro per day for parents " , which in this way may keep their children. The best solution, therefore, according to Correa, is to help parents find work , without taking away their children.

For the immediate future, the South American president gave orders to strengthen the team of lawyers at the Italian Embassy of Ecuador, in order to provide legal assistance to Ecuadorians. In addition, initiatives will be set up with the Italian authorities aimed to prevent the disintegration of families.

This solution, well seen by the Vice President of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Silvio De Fanti . "the stance of President Correa - said De Fanti - is an important step forward for the solution of the problem of children wrongfully removed from households . But other issues need to be brought to light issues that have prevented the solution of the problem: not only the business of the facilities for children with straight budgets from 100 to 400 euro per day, but also that of technical advice and psychological paths. Through subjective and debatable assessments of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers the Juvenile Court often is induced to take drastic and dramatic actionc, by subtracting the children from families. " According to statistics quoted by De Fanti, in fact, only 20% of the forced subtraction is done for objective reasons , such as death of parents, correctional measures against them, abuse or mistreatment. The remaining 80%, however, is motivated by the so-called "parental unfitness" , because of underlying economic problems or domestic.

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