Managing the reception phase, assisting at the information desk, guiding and directing users to ensure faster and smoother access to procedures: this is CUAMM’s commitment in supporting the immigration offices of police headquarters. This work began in Padua in 2022 and was later extended to the city of Bologna. It is an effort grounded in the dedication of volunteers who have chosen to devote their time to supporting and welcoming people in need.
Ceremony for the beginning of the collaboration between CUAMM and the Immigration Office in Padua.
In Padua
Support activities at the Immigration Office of the Padua Police Headquarters began in March 2022, when the outbreak of the war in Ukraine exponentially increased the workload. At the beginning of 2022, the number of people assisted by the offices doubled, reaching peaks of 350–400 people per day in the first weeks of the conflict. Many were Ukrainian refugees seeking to regularize their temporary stay in Italy—mostly women, elderly people, and minors.
Currently, the Immigration Office receives an average of 250–300 daily visits from people of various nationalities, and CUAMM’s support continues. The presence of volunteers has significantly eased the atmosphere of tension often felt during waiting times and at the counters, helping users feel listened to and supported.
Today, 18 CUAMM volunteers regularly serve at the Immigration Office from Monday to Friday in two shifts—morning (9:00–13:30) and afternoon (14:30–17:30)—ensuring the presence of about 5 volunteers per day.
From March 28, 2022 to September 2025, the Immigration Office recorded nearly 500,000 visits by foreign citizens (including Ukrainians) seeking to regularize their stay in Italy. Over the course of three years supporting the Padua Immigration Office, CUAMM volunteers have donated more than 27,000 hours of their free time to user support and reception activities. Thanks to this valuable support at the reception desks, the State Police staff were able to focus more on counter operations, speeding up the processing of applications and reducing waiting times for residence permits—from the initial 10 months to the current 4 months.
Meeting with CUAMM volunteers in Bologna
In Bologna
Since June 2025, CUAMM has also extended its support to the Bologna Police Headquarters. The goal is to ensure reception and assistance services for the many migrants arriving daily in Bologna, replicating the model already successfully tested in Padua.
The Immigration Office of the Bologna Police Headquarters receives around 300 people every day, handling requests ranging from the renewal and issuance of residence permits to photo-identification, asylum applications, and the delivery of electronic residence permits. This project is supported and sustained by local businesses, through Confindustria Emilia Area Centro.
From June 3, 2025 (the start of the CUAMM–Police Headquarters collaboration) to September 2025, the Immigration Office registered more than 5,000 visits by foreign citizens seeking to regularize their stay in Italy.
This result was made possible thanks to the competence of the Police Authority in managing requests, together with the dedication of volunteers, who contributed nearly 1,000 hours of their free time in just over three months to support and welcome users.
