Italian Government Prepares to Get Tough on Migrants

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Sep 24, 2018

Monday, the Italian government proposed strict security measures that will ensure the nation is not overrun by violent migrants fleeing the Middle East and North Africa.

The new law is “a step forward to make Italy safer,” said populist Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.

The bill will help Italy “be stronger in the fight against the mafia and (people) smugglers, reduce the costs of excessive immigration, expel delinquents and fake refugees, strip terrorists of citizenship, (and) give the police greater powers,” according to Salvini.

The Italian system of creating legislation is opposite of the system in America. Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella must first sign off on the proposed bill, which he has 60 days to accomplish. After Mattarella signs it, the bill heads to Parliament for approval.

Migrants seeking refugee status would face much harsher scrutiny if the bill passes. Those who are deemed “socially dangerous or convicted in the first instance” would not be eligible. Immigrants convicted of “terrorism” would also be stripped of their Italian citizenship under the law.

The bill would also give local police more power.

“The new law also lets local police have Taser stun guns and makes it easier to evict squatters by getting rid of the obligation of finding provisional housing for the most vulnerable,” the report said.

Salvini is known for his tough stance on refugeeism. In past months, he has refused several times to allow ships carrying migrants and refugees to dock in Italian ports.