Italy gets tough on illegal immigration
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Italy adopted a controversial law against illegal immigration on Thursday, including a measure allowing citizens to mount their own patrols, despite fierce criticism from rights groups and the Vatican.
The European Commission announced it would examine the new measures to determine whether they comply with EU norms, warning, "automatic expulsion rules for entire categories are not acceptable." Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had made tougher immigration rules a cornerstone of the election campaign that saw him return to power in May 2008.
Under the new law, illegal immigration becomes a criminal offence. Anyone caught housing an illegal immigrant could face jail, and parents registering a baby’s birth have to present papers to show they are legal residents, which some critics have warned could lead to a generation of ‘invisible’ children growing up outside the system.
The new law would "deprive children of their most basic rights," said Raffaele Salinari, the president of the Italian branch of Terre des Hommes, a campaign group dedicated to protecting the rights of children.
During its slow passage through parliament, the opposition denounced the measures as reminiscent of Italy's fascist era. Perhaps the most controversial measure permits ‘citizens groups’ to mount patrols on the lookout for public order offences. After objections that they would be little more than vigilante groups, the local authorities will monitor their activities.
An official with Catholic organisation Sant'Egidio estimated the number of illegal immigrants in Italy at between 400,000 and 500,000.
Nik Martin talks to Network Europe's Rome correspondent Megan Williams:
