I try to keep my blog totally apolitical. That’s not what I’m trying to communicate in this blog. But Italy and the EU has a situation now. And this post may seem a bit political but I hope everyone will read it with compassion. Or don’t read it. That’s fine too.
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As you may know Italy had a significant election this year and a coalition was formed. The main party called the Lega, is right wing, anti-immigrant. Salvini is the person in charge of the ports and he has blocked the incoming droves of immigrants rescued from flimsy rafts in the Mediterranean. He wants the EU to step up and start taking some of them. To do their part.

Photo courtesy of Sky News.

My friend and I met up for coffee last week and we got on the topic of immigration. In the last few years the EU has generally closed its internal borders and any entry points to the African immigrants coming by the boatload to Europe. Largely they land in Italy and Greece, the two closest places. These two countries are the least able, of the EU countries, to help them, and because the borders are closed elsewhere they get bottled up here. I was saying to my friend that I didn’t like the economic immigrants just looking for a better future. That I was OK with the ones, families, women, children, fleeing war. 95% of the people who arrive are young, single men from sub-Saharan Africa with no skills. My friend mentioned that most of the immigrants to the US were economic immigrants, Irish, Italians, etc. And she was right. And these immigrants to the US took advantages of the opportunities offered there and worked hard and made it. The American Dream. But sadly, Italy cannot even offer it’s own children opportunity, let alone 700,000 immigrants with no skills to offer. Italy has no way to help them succeed. I think other countries in the EU do offer more opportunity. Too bad they are unwilling to share it. 😢

I hope the American Dream can live on in our wonderful, strong country. America has benefited, and will benefit so much from the majority of the immigrants. I hope we will continue (or resume) to welcome them and offer them the opportunities, if they work for them, as their predecessors have. Because we CAN do that.