http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/ju ... nas-insult

Italy does have a problem with immigration no matter how you look at it, but it's not her fault, and they handle it like utter dicks. Not that we seem to be any better...

Do they?

The perception of it if nothing else! I might have been better saying 'around immigration'. You've got the Northern League and Forza Nuova amongst other groups, and as we're seeing in the UK, the public start looking for someone easy to blame for the economy and politicians who stand out... only in Italy that comes with a dash more nationalism. At least that's my impression.

What I'd like to know is the actual figures.

Perception and media spin plays a huge part. There was a King's College survery recently which found that the general public thought that 24% of the population was Muslim when the real figure was closer to 5%.

I'm not sure Italy has a problem with immigration per se, but it definitely has a problem with colour. Black footballers are constantly abused in Italy, even native ones like Mario Balotelli. Just recently a black player walked off the pitch because he was getting so much racist abuse from the crowd, and this was in a pre-season friendly! This isn't the first time this has happened either.

UEFA/FIFA have a consistently rubbish record of dealing with racism but the bare fact is people aren't racist because it's football, they're racist because they're racist.

Jon

The rest of Europe has a lot of problems with immigration, especially illegal immigration, mainly because it is all one piece of land, and once within the borders, moving between countries, other than the UK is very easy. Germany has a very big problem with Eastern Europe, whilst Italy has problems with the old southern lands of the former Soviet Republic, as well as boat loads, literally, of people fleeing North Africa.

Compared to most of Europe, the UK doesn't have as much of a problem with illegal immigrants, where its problem comes from is the relative lack of land for the size of its population.

That said, that is no excuse for the treatment Kyenge is receiving as an officially elected politician.

Italy also has a significant problem with Gypsies and Albanians. Ever since the death of the old communist regime in Albania there has been a large problem with smuggling (people and cigarettes) from Albania to Italy. Then add in the boatloads of Libyans trying to enter the country.


We should not treat her any different to anyone else, but that is not an excuse to attack her simply because she is black. The only justifiable complaint that anyone should be making against her or any other politician is that they are crap at the job.