Italian regulations are extremely innovative and offer many safeguards for the protection of the health of immigrants, whether official or unofficial, but they are not recognized and applied uniformly throughout the country. The strengthening of the average level in terms of autonomy and responsibilities has actually encouraged a differentiation in management and organization of regional health services. As regards the supply of services for unofficial foreigners the case of Lombardy analysed here brings out how much regional autonomy can lead to a marginal direct involvement, while services are supplied by private bodies. Describing how the regulations developed and analysing two associations that offer health services to unofficial immigrants, the article brings out the most significant targets in the health protection of this social group as well as the distinctive features of the Lombardy model.only subscribers can see the full article

Unofficial immigration is difficult to define precisely as it depends on national legislation, which in turn differs from country to country and is often ambiguous. It has many different causes: the attractions of economic systems and labour markets; the institutional creation of illegality by regulatory systems that raise the necessary requirements for legal entry and for staying in the country; the lack of necessary resources if repressive policies are to be more effective; the “liberal obligation” requiring democratic states to respect human rights and welcome refugees; the action of humanitarian lobbies; the bypassing of the rules and the favouring of entries by the networks of relatives and fellow-countrymen. Despite all the rhetoric, this makes necessary manoeuvres of various kinds designed to bring out the hidden part of the immigrant population: 23 out of 27 countries in the European Union have adopted them in the last ten years and at least 5 million people have regularized their status.only subscribers can see the full article