Lodi Mayor Sara Casanova on
Monday stood by controversial new regulations in the northern
city that have seen the children of many migrants unable to have
access to school canteens and school bus services.
"The regulation will certainly remain in force," Casanova
told ANSA.
"The law must always be valid for everyone".
The regulation demands that migrant parents must submit
documentation from their countries of origin about their wealth
and income, in addition to certification from the Italian
authorities, as part of means-testing for these services.
The administration has come under fire as the move has
reportedly led to around 200 migrant children being denied
admission to school canteens.
"I'm sorry that not everyone agrees with the principle of
fairness that is at the basis of this resolution, which aims to
put Italians and foreigners in the same condition at the
starting point to show their income and the assets they own,"
Casanova said.
The mayor stressed that the city administration has pledged
to find solutions for families unable to provide the
documentation requested from their homelands.
Similarly, a new rule in Veneto requires that migrant
families must present certification about their assets in their
countries of origin, in addition to Italy's ISEE
income-and-wealth certification, to have access to a couple to
spend on school books.
The rule is cited on the instructions section of the region's
website.
The Veneto branch of local-authorities association ANCI added
that the certification demands regarded all economic benefits,
not just those for school books.
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