国际英语资讯:Italys coronavirus deaths exceed 25,000, new active infections keep falling_时事

国际英语资讯:Italys coronavirus deaths exceed 25,000, new active infections keep falling

"(It would help) preventing a humanitarian emergency, which might occur in informal settlements crowded with people who are now not working... and at the risk of hunger, at the mercy of the virus threat," the minister wrote.

At the same time, she continued, it would meet the urgent need for labor of many farms, just ahead of the harvest time for many products.

SPRING CROPS AT RISK

The idea was strongly opposed by right-wing political forces, which expressed fears such regularization might work as a trigger for further irregular immigration into the country.

According to Italy's farmers' association Coldiretti, several spring crops were at risk due to the lockdown imposed in the coronavirus emergency, and the consequent borders closure to foreign workers.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group approved of the agriculture minister's proposal, while calling on the government to provide as soon as possible "more flexible (hiring and paying) tools, such as vouchers for pensioners, students, and redundancy workers" in order to partially fill the gap.

Italy's agricultural sector employed about 1.13 million people last year, according to a report issued by the Italian General Confederation of Agriculture in February.

Italy entered into a national lockdown on March 10 to contain the pandemic. The lockdown, which is expected to last until May 3, will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two," involving "the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities," the Italian government has explained.