Pakistanis in Italy
Encyclopedia
Pakistanis in Italy form one of Europe's larger Pakistani diaspora
communities. Estimates for the number of Pakistanis living in Italy
vary. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
repeats the Italian government's 2003 figure of 30,500 individuals, while their embassy in Rome speculated to a reporter of Pakistani newspaper Dawn
as early as 2002 that the number might have already reached as high as 50,000. Media reports in 2010 gave numbers higher than 80,000.
; they earn roughly US$
700 per month in wages. Even those who entered the country illegally
obtain jobs and employment permission fairly easily, due to labour shortages in Italy caused by the ageing population and shrinking workforce. One common tactic for new arrivals is to destroy their passports and report them stolen; after obtaining a new passport from the embassy, they can claim that they have resided in Italy for longer than they actually have, thus accelerating their eligibility for a work permit. After they have regularised their conditions of stay, they can also sponsor their spouses and children to come to Italy, and enrol the children in Italian schools.
The sheer number of applicants for new passports has placed a severe strain on the Pakistani embassy. A long queue stretches outside the door all week long, with an average of sixty applications per day and a peak of 120 on Mondays. Typically, one must have some proof of citizenship, such as an identity card, in order to obtain a new passport; applicants lacking any such proof must undergo interviews in which embassy officials quiz them on basic facts about Pakistan to determine if they are actually citizens of the country. In one case, a young applicant who claimed to be from Swat did not even know the name of the Wāli of Swat
, but the embassy issued him a new passport anyway on the strength of his uncle's assurances that the youth was indeed a Pakistani citizen. The Pakistani ambassador to Italy often interviews the applicants personally and renders immediate decisions; however, other staff members of the embassy, even typists and drivers, have had to help in processing the flood of applications. Pakistanis initially praised the services of the embassy, comparing them favourably to Pakistani embassies in other countries where it was common for the staff to demand bribes. However, the high workload caused increasing backlogs, which by 2007 meant that 20,000 Pakistani migrants lost the chance to regularise their status and obtain work permits; migrants described the embassy's attitude as "unreasonable" and even threatened to set themselves on fire in protest
.
, a town in the Province of Brescia
, are believed to have carried out the country's first honour killing
in June 2007; a man and two of his brothers-in-law were sentenced to thirty years in prison for the killing of the man's 20-year old daughter, who was living with her boyfriend
, an Italian man, and had refused an arranged marriage
. They had slit her throat and buried her body in their back garden
.
A monthly Urdu-language magazine called Azad (which means "free" in Urdu) has been launched. It aims to bridge the two cultures by helping Pakistani immigrants who either cannot speak Italian or have limited interaction with the locals. It also helps Pakistanis to learn about Italy and its culture.
According to media commentator Ejaz Ahmad, himself a Pakistani with two decades of residence in Italy, roughly 10,000 Pakistani migrants have purchased homes in Italy, which he analyses as a signal of their intention to remain in the country.
Pakistani diaspora
The Pakistani diaspora, or an overseas Pakistani is a Pakistani citizen who has migrated to another country or a person of Pakistani origin who is born outside Pakistan. There are approximately 7 million Pakistanis living abroad...
communities. Estimates for the number of Pakistanis living in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
vary. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also known as Foreign Ministry, is a Government of Pakistan's federal and executive Ministry which is responsible for international and Foreign Affairs. The ministry was created in 1947, and was one of the first ministries to be established...
repeats the Italian government's 2003 figure of 30,500 individuals, while their embassy in Rome speculated to a reporter of Pakistani newspaper Dawn
Dawn (newspaper)
Dawn is Pakistan's oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper. One of the country's two largest English-language dailies, it is the flagship of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, published by Pakistan Herald Publications, which also owns the Herald, a magazine, the evening paper The Star and...
as early as 2002 that the number might have already reached as high as 50,000. Media reports in 2010 gave numbers higher than 80,000.
Migration
Most Pakistani migrants are employed in the north of Italy, around MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
; they earn roughly US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
700 per month in wages. Even those who entered the country illegally
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
obtain jobs and employment permission fairly easily, due to labour shortages in Italy caused by the ageing population and shrinking workforce. One common tactic for new arrivals is to destroy their passports and report them stolen; after obtaining a new passport from the embassy, they can claim that they have resided in Italy for longer than they actually have, thus accelerating their eligibility for a work permit. After they have regularised their conditions of stay, they can also sponsor their spouses and children to come to Italy, and enrol the children in Italian schools.
The sheer number of applicants for new passports has placed a severe strain on the Pakistani embassy. A long queue stretches outside the door all week long, with an average of sixty applications per day and a peak of 120 on Mondays. Typically, one must have some proof of citizenship, such as an identity card, in order to obtain a new passport; applicants lacking any such proof must undergo interviews in which embassy officials quiz them on basic facts about Pakistan to determine if they are actually citizens of the country. In one case, a young applicant who claimed to be from Swat did not even know the name of the Wāli of Swat
Wāli of Swat
The Wāli of Swat was the leader of the erstwhile State of Swat. The post disappeared in 1969 when this state was incorporated into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.They were well known for building a lot of schools and hospitals in their state....
, but the embassy issued him a new passport anyway on the strength of his uncle's assurances that the youth was indeed a Pakistani citizen. The Pakistani ambassador to Italy often interviews the applicants personally and renders immediate decisions; however, other staff members of the embassy, even typists and drivers, have had to help in processing the flood of applications. Pakistanis initially praised the services of the embassy, comparing them favourably to Pakistani embassies in other countries where it was common for the staff to demand bribes. However, the high workload caused increasing backlogs, which by 2007 meant that 20,000 Pakistani migrants lost the chance to regularise their status and obtain work permits; migrants described the embassy's attitude as "unreasonable" and even threatened to set themselves on fire in protest
Self-immolation
Self-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest...
.
Cultural integration
The settlement of Pakistanis to Italy has produced cultural tensions. Pakistanis living in SarezzoSarezzo
Sarezzo is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is bounded by other communes of Lumezzane, Villa Carcina, Polaveno, Gardone Val Trompia. It is located in the Trompia valley, and its population in 2006 was 11 652...
, a town in the Province of Brescia
Province of Brescia
The Province of Brescia is a Province in Lombardy, Italy. It borders with the province of Sondrio in the N and NW, the province of Bergamo in the W, province of Cremona in the SW and S, the province of Mantova to the S, and to the east, the province of Verona and Trentino .Source for statistical...
, are believed to have carried out the country's first honour killing
Honor killing
An honor killing or honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community...
in June 2007; a man and two of his brothers-in-law were sentenced to thirty years in prison for the killing of the man's 20-year old daughter, who was living with her boyfriend
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
, an Italian man, and had refused an arranged marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
. They had slit her throat and buried her body in their back garden
Back garden
A back garden is a residential garden located at the rear of a property, on the other side of the house from the public street-side entrance and front garden.-Number and size of back gardens:In Britain there are over 10 million back gardens....
.
A monthly Urdu-language magazine called Azad (which means "free" in Urdu) has been launched. It aims to bridge the two cultures by helping Pakistani immigrants who either cannot speak Italian or have limited interaction with the locals. It also helps Pakistanis to learn about Italy and its culture.
According to media commentator Ejaz Ahmad, himself a Pakistani with two decades of residence in Italy, roughly 10,000 Pakistani migrants have purchased homes in Italy, which he analyses as a signal of their intention to remain in the country.
Notable people
- Akhlaq QureshiAkhlaq QureshiAkhlaq Qureshi was a Pakistani-born Italian cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who first played cricket back in the 1984/85 season. He made his cricketing debut for the Lahore City Whites in 1984, on the losing side of a Patron's Trophy match...
- Italian cricketer - Prince Aly KhanPrince Aly KhanPrince Ali Solomone Aga Khan , known as Aly Khan was a son of Aga Khan III, the head of the Ismaili Muslims, and the father of Aga Khan IV. A socialite, racehorse owner and jockey, he was the third husband of actress Rita Hayworth...
- Italy-born son of Pakistani IsmailiIsmaili' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
imam Aga Khan IIIAga Khan IIISir Sultan Muhammed Shah, Aga Khan III, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO, PC was the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. He was one of the founders and the first president of the All-India Muslim League, and served as President of the League of Nations from 1937-38. He was nominated to represent India to...