scholarly journals Migrants’ Access to Social Protection in Italy

Author(s):  
William Chiaromonte

Abstract This chapter presents the main characteristics of the Italian social security system, on the one hand, and Italian migration history and key policy developments, on the other hand, in order to analyze the principal eligibility conditions for accessing social benefits (unemployment, health care, pensions, family benefits and guaranteed minimum resources) for national residents, non-national residents and non-resident nationals.

Author(s):  
Pauline Melin

Abstract Access to social benefits in Belgium is not conditional upon nationality but rather on periods of insurance to the Belgian social security system. Despite the lack of nationality conditions, a number of social benefits are made conditional upon residence of the beneficiary in Belgium. Consequently, even though the Belgian social security system appears, at first sight, as neutral regarding the migration trajectory of its beneficiaries, it might be more difficult for migrants to access, retain and export social security benefits from Belgium when compared to resident nationals. This chapter thus compares the conditions of access to social benefits for nationals and non-nationals residing in Belgium, as well as Belgian citizens residing abroad. It aims to analyse whether migration decisions impact access to and retention of social security benefits. More particularly, the analysis focuses on access to unemployment benefits, healthcare, old-age pensions, family benefits and guaranteed minimum income. Finally, this chapter also questions whether access to social benefits might have a consequence for the residence status of non-nationals in Belgium.


2020 ◽  
pp. 70-75
Author(s):  
Karina Gnatenko

Problem setting. In recent years, as a result of legislative activity, many new legal principles have emerged that guide the legal regulation of the social sphere and indicate the general directions of the implementation of social rights. As a result, there is both a theoretical and a practical need to clarify their content and streamline the principles of social security law throughout the system. Characterizing the principles of social security, it should be noted that today there are many classifications of sectoral principles and those that were developed in Soviet times, and those that are more or less focused on the specifics of today. Some principles disappeared, losing their relevance and ceasing to affect all social security; others, on the other hand, have become more and more confident in the system of sectoral principles, having barely appeared in social security legislation. One such principle is the principle of targeting. Analysis of recent researches and publications. Problems of providing targeted assistance in their scientific works were studied by such scientists as O. O. Bogdanova, T. Z. Garasimov, A. Gladun, S. V. Kudlaenko, O. V. Moskalenko, I. Yu. Khomych, T. Yu. Khrenova, O. Chutcheva, O. M. Yaroshenko and others. Target of research – to find out the content of the principle of targeting in the law of social security and to determine its place in the mechanism of legal regulation of the law of social security in modern conditions in the implementation of social rights. Article’s main body. Targeted social protection in general is aimed at determining the real standard of living of persons seeking social assistance, their real need for social assistance. It is a characteristic tool of social programs to combat poverty, which allows to achieve a significant effect by qualitatively identifying the criteria characteristics of “beneficiaries”. The main advantage of the targeted social protection system is, firstly, the more efficient use of available limited budget funds to provide social assistance to the most vulnerable categories of citizens; secondly, most of such funds are spent on poor citizens. Therefore, addressing the system of social protection of vulnerable groups can, on the one hand, significantly increase the ability of this system to provide social assistance and services to those who really need it, and on the other – to prevent access to budget funds for state social assistance and provision of social services to those to whom it is not intended. This, in turn, will reduce the overall cost of social assistance programs at the state and regional levels, which is an important factor given the limited financial resources. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The principle of targeting social benefits, taking into account the financial situation of a particular person in a particular life situation, recognized by the state society as socially respectable, will contribute, on the one hand, more effective implementation of social rights, as it will take into account the specific life situation and, on the other hand, without limiting the volume and types of social benefits already provided by the current legislation, will promote a more rational distribution of funds from public consumption funds. Targeted social protection should be aimed at determining the real standard of living of persons seeking social assistance, their real need for social assistance


Author(s):  
Zvezda Vankova ◽  
Dragomir Kolev Draganov

Abstract This chapter aims to discuss the link between migration and welfare in Bulgaria. Firstly, it presents the main characteristics of the Bulgarian welfare system and discusses access to social benefits for resident and non-resident nationals, and resident non-nationals. Secondly, it examines Bulgaria’s migration history and key migration policy developments. Finally, the chapter provides a detailed analysis of access to social benefits of these different groups across five policy areas – unemployment, health care, family benefits, pensions, and guaranteed minimum resources – and the links to Bulgaria’s migration policy.


Author(s):  
Mel Cousins

Abstract This chapter focuses on the link between migration and social protection in Ireland. The chapter has two main goals. First, it presents the general legal framework regulating the social protection system in Ireland, paying particular attention to any potential differences in terms of conditions of access to social benefits between national residents, non-national residents, and non-resident nationals. Secondly, the chapter discusses how these different groups of individuals access social benefits across five policy areas: unemployment, health care, family benefits, pensions, and guaranteed minimum resources. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the relationship between migration and social protection policy.


Author(s):  
Mehmet Fatih Aysan

AbstractThis chapter scrutinises the social protection system in contemporary Turkey in order to examine how different groups of individuals access social benefits across five main policy areas—unemployment, health care, family allowances, pensions, and guaranteed minimum resources. The general conditions under which Turkish citizens and foreigners have access to social benefits in Turkey can be summarized as follows: (i) residence and employment status are important determinants of one’s access to social protection in Turkey; (ii) employment status generally determines the access to unemployment benefits, health care, pensions, and family benefits, while residence status is important for all social policy areas except pensions; (iii) a majority of social benefits provided for Turkish citizens are also available for foreign residents through their employment status; (iv) guaranteed income is granted based on residence in Turkey; (v) access to family benefits may vary depending on one’s occupation, residence, and nationality. The Turkish system of social protection is a fragmented one, with divisions based on occupational differences, residence, income level, and citizenship. This fragmented nature coupled with regional and global socio-economic risks (particularly large migration flows) make structural social security reforms inevitable in contemporary Turkey.


Author(s):  
Daria Popova

AbstractThis chapter discusses the general legal framework regulating Russia’s welfare system and access for national citizens, foreigners residing in the country, and national citizens residing abroad to social benefits in five policy areas: unemployment, health care, family benefits, pensions, and guaranteed minimum resources. Our analysis shows that the eligibility of Russian nationals for social benefits depends either on their employment status and contribution record (for pensions and other social insurance benefits), or their residence status (for social assistance and healthcare). The overall level of social protection of citizens residing in different parts of the country may differ substantially due to the decentralized structure of the social protection system in Russia. The rights of foreign residents to social security benefits are essentially the same as those of the nationals, as long as they are legally employed and make social security contributions. However, there are two major exceptions: pensions and unemployment benefits. Social assistance benefits provided at the regional level are typically available to all legal residents, foreigners included, with few exceptions. When deciding to permanently move abroad, Russian citizens lose their entitlement to claim social benefits from Russia, apart from acquired contributory public pensions.


Author(s):  
Paul Tabar ◽  
Andrew Denison ◽  
Maha Alkhomassy

AbstractAlthough Lebanese social protection schemes are heavily fragmented, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is the primary provider of end-of-service indemnity, health care and family benefits. However, only Lebanese who are formally employed or foreigners originating from countries which provide equal or better social protection to Lebanese citizens are eligible to enrol in the fund according to the 1963 Social Security Law. Those not enrolled must often rely on ad hoc social protection services provided by non-governmental or international organisations to obtain (limited) social services. Migrants, including Palestinians, Sri Lankans, Indonesians and Syrians are particularly vulnerable as they are ineligible to enrol in the NSSF. Also, Lebanese nationals residing abroad are ineligible to obtain benefits from the National Social Security Fund.


Author(s):  
Romas Lazutka ◽  
Jekaterina Navicke

Abstract This chapter aims to discuss the link between migration and welfare in Lithuania. We start with presentation of the main characteristics of the Lithuanian welfare system emphasizing the access to social benefits for resident nationals, non-national residents, and non-resident nationals. Later we examine key developments of population migration to and from Lithuania. Finally, we present a detailed analysis of five social policy schemes - unemployment, health care, family benefits, pensions, and guaranteed minimum resources – from the perspective of access to social benefits of these different groups.


Author(s):  
Analía Minteguiaga ◽  
Valerie Carmel

AbstractFormal labour and affiliation to Ecuador’s social security system is the main gateway for access to social protection benefits, especially in the case of migrants. However, a large informal labour market and low levels on inclusion in the social security system forces large sectors of society to rely on family and community arrangements for the management of risk and economic uncertainty. The state provides some non-contributory benefits through cash transfer programs but, with the exception of health care, these only cover people living in conditions of extreme poverty. Universal, non-means tested programs are limited to the public health and education systems. Overall, migrants face several obstacles to access social protection benefits. Gaining the right to work legally is mostly reserved for white-collar and highly educated immigrants, excluding impoverished immigrants. Paired to the inability to access labour-related benefits and government programs for the so-called poor, immigrants lack the safety nets provided by extended family and a community setting. Nationals residing abroad have restricted access to social benefits, having access only to the contributory pension system on a voluntary basis. This chapter discusses the social protection system in Ecuador and focuses on eligibility criteria to show the extent of migrants’ access to the social benefits.


Author(s):  
Ulrich Becker

The chapter provides a summary of the findings of the country reports and an analysis of both social protection reforms during the financial crisis and constitutional adjudication from a comparative perspective. It elaborates on different reasons for social protection reforms in different fields of social protection (old-age pensions, health, unemployment and family benefits, social assistance), and it puts emphasis on a differentiation between short-term cuts of, and in, benefits, on the one hand, and long-term structural changes, on the other. It analyses the case law of national courts with a view to the constitutionality of social protection reforms from the angle of subjects as well as of legal bases and results, including its relation to the jurisprudence of the ECtHR.


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