E/CN.4/2005/85/Add.3 page 11 35. The migrants who met the Special Rapporteur had the opportunity to describe their personal experiences and migration plans. They agreed about a series of situations affecting their status as workers, notably their concern that some nationalities faced discrimination in access to employment, delays in the issuance and renewal of their residence permits, the disappearance of the sponsor system, problems with recognition of their academic qualifications, and the high accident rate among the migrant community and how compensation and disability allowances were calculated. Some sectors of civil society considered that domestic work should be recognized as a profession. Mention was also made of the complications for migrant workers with a residence permit of trying to combine vocational training with professional activity. 36. The trade unions and NGOs considered that the recent labour reform intended to make labour contracts more flexible9 had made it harder for immigrants to hold down a stable job. C. Integration policies 37. The National Council on the Economy and Employment (CNEL) considered that the reforms introduced by Act No. 189/2002 had not changed the thrust of immigration policy from the earlier act but de facto undermined integration procedures, as illustrated by the close link they established between residence permits and employment contracts. 38. The Special Rapporteur was informed that immigrants appeared to be experiencing delays of about six months on average, and sometimes more than a year, in the issuance and renewal of residence permits. This is important because it is the residence permit that entitles its holder to exercise rights and obtain access to services. Many legal immigrants found that their rights were restricted because they had only a receipt for the renewal application which was refused by many bodies as inadequate. The consular authorities mentioned the problems that this situation caused for their nationals seeking employment or needing to travel home in an emergency. They also noted problems in obtaining papers certifying the loss of residence permits. 39. A foreign worker may apply to the police to issue a residence card for an indefinite period for him- or herself, a spouse and under-age children living under the same roof. For this purpose he must prove that he has lived legally in Italy for a minimum of six years (one more than before the reform), that he holds a residence permit on grounds permitting an unlimited number of renewals and that he has a sufficient income to support himself and his family. The holder of a residence card is entitled to live in Italy even if he loses his job for a long period of time. Application may be made for Italian citizenship following a minimum residence period of 10 years. In meetings with immigrants, the Special Rapporteur was told of the difficulties encountered by second-generation immigrants when they applied for Italian nationality. In the case of immigrant women, their low earnings would not allow them to apply. 40. The Lombardy Region gave numerous details of its regional policy, international cooperation and the network of services supplied by the Milan city authorities. The Adviser on social and immigration policy in the Emilia-Romagna Region reported that the Central Government had appealed to the Constitutional Court against a regional immigration act,10 the result of three years of consultations with various representatives of society. This provides that the Region should supervise and monitor the CPTAs and establish a regional immigrants’ advisory board.