Introduzione

This papers studies different issues related to minorities rights. After trying to define what should be intended as minorities in contemporary West societies and exploring if it is possible to make a difference between old and new minorities, the research focuses on the main issues that are at stake. In particular, the paper aims at discovering which are the rights involved and how such rights can be categorised, as human, cultural, individual or community rights. The research will show how new minorities are in need of having their own identities recognised and protected by our West societies. This requires the achievement of a real process of integration to be carried out through two combined factors: the implementation of international or supranational treaties or documents, and the effective efforts that have to be made by European governments and people.