Italy plans to increase the number of work permits issued to non-EU nationals in an effort to address labor shortages in the country, The Financial Times reports.
The government intends to issue 425,000 work permits between 2021 and 2025, gradually increasing the yearly quota to reach 165,000 by 2025.
The government aims to promote legal immigration while maintaining its crackdown on irregular migrants crossing the Mediterranean.
However, the opposition has accused the right-wing coalition of hypocrisy, given their historical negative attitude towards foreign migrant workers.
