The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Manlio Di Stefano, received at the Farnesina Ms Urmila Bhoola, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery.
Undersecretary Di Stefano gave Ms Bhoola an update on the state of Italian legislation on the trafficking of human beings, unaccompanied foreign minors and on combating the “Caporalato” phenomenon, which is the illegal recruitment of agricultural workers for very low wages. Combating these phenomena is a priority for the Italian Government, said the Undersecretary. The National Action Plan Against the Trafficking and Exploitation of Human Beings adopted by the Cabinet outlines specific strategic actions to fight and prevent these phenomena and to assure the social integration of victims.
Ms Bhoola acknowledged that Italy is tackling very complex challenges at this historic point of time, and expressed her appreciation for the attention paid by Italy to these issues, also through ground-breaking legislation. The UN Special Rapporteur also expressed her gratitude for the cooperation and support that Italy gives her office.
