ITALIAN CARDINAL ZUPPI: IMMIGRATION ‘NECESSARY’ TO FILL LABOR SHORTAGES AND AVERT ITALY’S DECLINE

Italy’s top prelate, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, says the country’s demographic collapse and labor shortages—especially in Emilia-Romagna’s industrial sector—make immigration vital. He urges “integral inclusion” so migrants aren’t treated merely as labor, invoking Benedict XVI’s teaching on human dignity and the “right not to emigrate.” The Italian Bishops’ Conference frames migration as a moral duty alongside protections to prevent exploitation. The remarks sharpen Church–state tension as Italy tightens controls while employers plead for workers.