Reuters
Clampdown on illegal immigrants
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (second from left) chairs a Cabinet meeting in Naples yesterday.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Cabinet approved tough new measures against illegal immigrants and crime yesterday despite concerns in the EU that they could fuel racism. "Citizens have a fundamental right not to be afraid. The right not to be afraid is a right that a state worthy of the name must guarantee," said 71-year-old Berlusconi, who won a third term promising to fight crime widely blamed on immigrants.
Honouring a campaign promise to hold his first full Cabinet meeting in Naples to highlight the trash crisis there, Italy's new conservative premier vowed to act "exactly as if it were an emergency caused by a earthquake or volcano eruption".
Mr Berlusconi approved a decree opening new landfills which will now be considered military zones, giving the army powers to stop local residents from blocking roads and railway lines in protest against unwanted rubbish tips in their neighbourhoods.
Mr Berlusconi also scrapped taxes on homes, overtime and productivity-related pay, and sought banks' help to lower mortgage payments, in a bid to help the euro zone's third largest economy avoid a looming recession.
Naples has been the focus of a violent backlash against illegal Roma camps depicted by right-wingers in Mr Berlusconi's new government as dens of criminality. Police evacuated one camp after people set fire to shacks over news reports of an apparent attempted kidnapping of a baby by a Roma girl.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, from the anti-immigrant Northern League party allied to Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom, told reporters after the Cabinet meeting the new security laws would be rushed through Parliament by the end of July. They include making illegal immigration a jailable offence, which has outraged European human rights groups and politicians.
Property rented to illegal immigrants will be confiscated.
The package makes it easier to expel illegal immigrants who fall foul of the law, check the income of immigrants from the EU and crack down on abuse of the asylum system to enter Italy.
The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, criticised the package but Mr Maroni said all the new measures respected EU norms.
"The accusations against us that have been made over the past few days are groundless," he said.
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Ben Grech
May 23rd 2008, 08:33
You d think the rights of the contruction lobby come before the citizens of this country. Apart from bulldozing over planning laws and regulations almost unhindered, they employ countless irregular immigrants illegally for next to nothing. By not taking a stronger stand on this issue of illegal employment, the PN led government is once again showing its indirect support and backing to this lobby. I wouldn t be surprised to learn that our government has no intentions of ever solivng this problem of cheap labour... ehemm scratch, that irregular immigration.
Robert Cassar
May 23rd 2008, 04:48
Well done SILVIO, Malta should follow your example. We will see now that excuse the Maltese goverment will give us.. the time of internaional obligations NOW IS OVER and its time that the goverment start to protect the Maltese citiziens.
Malcolm Seychell
May 22nd 2008, 22:51
I was present in that program representing AN. To give some credit to Dr Busuttil he is aware of the problem and the government is taking a more tough stand on immigration today, compared to when Dr Gonzi took over the PN, which practically in the beginning he just saw the rights of immigrants and didn't care much for the Maltese.
I hope the government will take some drastic measure. Ngos in this field are working against Malta's interest as clearly shown by the UNHCR representative on the program
Christopher Ebejer
May 22nd 2008, 22:34
"Citizens have a fundamental right not to be afraid. The right not to be afraid is a right that a state worthy of the name must guarantee," said 71-year-old Berlusconi
Indeed Berlusconi's interest is to save guard the interest of his nation.
Our Sweet politicians should do as Berlusconi is doing and stop dreaming that Europe will take our Immigrants. They just want to get rid of those in their own country!
Joe Gatt
May 22nd 2008, 22:26
The new Italian government is showing us the way. And let's keep in mind the fact that if we don't match these new Italian laws, illegal immigrants crossing the Mediterranean will do their best to avoid Italy -- by coming to Malta!
alex spiteri
May 22nd 2008, 10:26
A few days ago I was watching Simon Busutill on Bondi+, repeating and reminding us about international obligations Malta has to honour when addressing the illegal immigration threat.
The Italians are showing that the only obligation they have is towards the Italian nation and its people...take notice from the Italian politicians Mr Busutill!
Jean Pierre Aquilina
May 22nd 2008, 09:48
Criticism is expected - especially from the Council of Europe which does not have to shoulder the problem.
Furthermore, the CoE expresses its concern on the rights of illegal immigrants, but does not even mention nor refers to the rights of the state's citizens who live and work there legally and who have to shoulder the burden of illegal immigration in terms of money and the inevitable increase in crime.
This is unsurprising when the CoE has voted to decriminalise the killing of its own citizens (abortion, that is).