While in Paris the riots are still going on after eleven days (in picture: scene from the riots, from repubblica.it), in Italy the few voices that usually speak out on immigration turned even more burlesque.

Northern League coordinator and institutional reforms minister, Roberto Calderoli, speaking about the metropolitan guerrilla in Paris said that it was only the top of the iceberg of what would happen very soon in France, Netherlands and in the other countries that, after a colonial policy, had to accept a strong immigration. He said that it was necessary to stop the invasion of Italy made by irregular non-EU immigrants. Otherwise Italy would have to pay the same price. He said that irregular immigration was the bomb while the left wing political movements were the detonator and the lack of repression of these two forms of illegality was the hand that triggers the bomb. (from AGI)

Calderoli is a blatant racist and an obsessive opposer to any form of immigration to Italy (from poorer countries, doh). But there's something obviously true in what he says and that cannot be denied: things can only get worse in Europe in such matters. Netherlands and France are a lesson that Italy will never learn. Since this is a global unstoppable process anyway, Calderoli's idea of a forced stop to immigration is just ridiculous.

In face of the riots in France, anyway, a statement (widely attacked from the right) by Mr Romano Prodi, (sort of) leader of the left-wing opposition, proved that more politicians are beginning to worry. It sounded quite unheard, considering how our politicians usually (besides Calderoli) underestimate the problem.

"We should not believe to be in a so different situation from the one in Paris", he said: "it's just a matter of time. We have the worse suburbs in Europe. Our suburbs are a human tragedy and if we don't take some serious action, on the social and residential sides, we are going to have many [situations like] Paris. There are very bad conditions and unhappiness even where only Italians are" (from La Repubblica).

New and better residences are certainly a good project. Also working on the social side (which means roughly trying to give the immigrants welfare protection, a legal job, not a "black" one as for the majority is today) is important.
After all, one person over ten in Italy migrated here from another country in the last years. In 2004, italian population grew of just 574,100 units. Of these, 558,200 were immigrants. Believe it or not.

But not Calderoli nor Prodi won't ever have the courage to fight illegal immigration with the only possible mean: by legalizing it.
Consider that Ndrangheta and Mafia this way won't make a penny out of illegal immigration. Plus a legalized immigrant hardly falls into criminal organizations. Legalization is right and good. And why immigration should be illegal anyway?

I say, give them a decent boat to cross the sea from Africa (not a sinking one). Identify them. Give 'em the damn papers. Give them a permit of stay and to travel across Europe. Later, when they find a job, let them bring their families too.
A part of the fact that this way the problems should be easier to face (there'd be a past deal between the institution and the immigrant) and less people would go underground: this would also be the only right thing to do.

Because they're free people, like us, aren't they. Well, until we put them all in detention, of course.