Work, employment, mobility: in Iglesias the forum that talks about emigration, expatriation and depopulation

In just 5 years, from 2017 to today, the provinces of Oristano, Nuoro and South Sardinia have lost more than 5 percent of their population. The situation is slightly better for the Sassarese and the Metropolitan City of Cagliari, which somehow manage to "contain the damage".

An assessment that emerged today in Iglesias as part of the presentation of the " Annual emigration report " drawn up by the Regional Emigration-Immigration Center of the ACLI, on the occasion of the meeting organized by the Industrial Workers' Mutual Aid Society of Iglesias , and which light all the problems related to depopulation and emigration , especially of young people.

In Sardinia, it was explained, only 7 municipalities exceed the threshold of 30 thousand inhabitants (Cagliari, Sassari, Quartu, Olbia, Alghero, Nuoro, Oristano), 16 exceed 15 thousand. In the first 20 municipalities there are over half of the inhabitants of the island, the remainder live in the other 357 municipalities.

To provide some data, analyzing the territories with a negative natural balance (therefore the difference between births and deaths), Bidonì is in first place (-3.73 percent), with a positive Elini balance (0.54 percent ). In the migratory field, the first municipality for negative balance is Pompu (-5.26 percent), with positive balance Semestene (11.63 percent).

Where do all these young people who leave go? Based on the Crei (Regional Emigration and Immigration Center) -Iares elaboration on Aire data of 2021, Germany is the king with almost 8 thousand presences (7,978), followed by France with 5,218 and Belgium with 3,450.

The Sardinians over 65 mostly choose France and Germany (5,203 appearances for the first, 5,187 for the second).

Among the various interventions, that of Alberto Sechi , president of the Mutual Aid Industrial Workers' Society, founded in 1984 and which is active in particular in the cultural and enhancement field of the Sulcis Iglesiente area.

“Today's initiative - he explains to L'Unione Sarda - has a predominantly territorial interest, with a specific focus on the centers of this area for which it is often difficult to find data. The dialogue with local administrations is also important to organize programs that address the problem of depopulation and emigration, and by giving a voice to the Sardinians in the world, connected by videoconference, we have examined various issues ".

Who are these emigrants?

"They are young and old with experience in various parts of the world, and also historical representatives of the world of emigration such as Rossana Ghessa, who left Sulcis and in Rio has become a star of cinema and film production, or Angela Licciardi, daughter of an Iglesiente who emigrated in 1953, but who has always maintained very close relations with Iglesias from San Paolo in Brazil, she even came here to get married ”.

Sardinians who would like to return?

"Not necessarily. Sometimes it is a desire not related to nostalgia. I am thinking of Paolo Pitzolu, who has worked on shipyards all over the world and then decided to put his skills to good use to get back into the game in Iglesias where for 5 years he has had a winery with a production that is beginning to be of value. He won a bet with himself ”.

No cardboard suitcase now.

“But no, before we left with tears, and the great nostalgia for the land we left behind, we are talking about years in which even just calling family members who remained in Sardinia was a luxury. Today we move in the job market, but it is clear that our territory suffers for all these young people who go to study on the peninsula or abroad and then do not return, it is a problem for the whole community ".

Is it more difficult to leave or to return?

“Pitzolu, as I said before, managed to return, but we are talking about a sector, the wine sector, in which the conditions were evidently there. Because this is the point: many have experiences and skills that in Sardinia they may not be able to put to good use. And it must also be said that very often those who hire a recent graduate also ask for an experience. How do you do?".

What answers have emerged today?

“Various and above all interlocutory: it is difficult to think of returning, there is the desire, then they ask themselves 'if I come back what will I do?'. And even staying is not an easy choice. I was a pupil of Nereide Rudas, he always said that Sardinian emigration is characterized by the nostalgic aspect. Nowadays it is different, we are far away but with modern means of communication we can see and hear each other even every day. And the emigrants are no longer even 'complaining', allow me the term, as it once was ”.