AFP

Italy moves to toughen immigration laws

ROME, June 4: Italy's conservative-dominated parliament on Tuesday approved radically new legislation that will require immigrants to provide fingerprints to obtain official documents , make their expulsion easier and toughen punishment of immigrants for breaking the law.

The bill, which must be approved by the upper house before it can come into force, was passed by a vote of 279 to 203 following a stormy debate between the center-right coalition of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the leftwing opposition.

It also caused bitter debate between the coalition's Christian Democrats and the Northern League, which has made the fight against immigration its battlehorse. However, junior Interior Minister Alfredo Mantovano defended the bill saying that it was little different from legislation already supported by some of Italy's principal European partners and backed by the European Union (EU).

"We do not pretend that this will be a solution to all our problems but it does provide an important and serious contribution," Mantovano said.

Immigration has become a key concern across the 15-member bloc following recent electoral successes by anti-immigrant candidates in France and the Netherlands.

Moreover, Italy's long, accessible coasts have made the country a magnet for immigrant smugglers for more than a decade and immigration was a key issue in the election campaign that brought Berlusconi to power last year.

The new legislation is called the Bossi-Fini law, after the names of its creators, Umberto Bossi of the Northern League and Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini, who is also the head of the National Alliance, the successor of war-time leader Benito Mussolini's fascist movement.

Bossi in particular was satisfied with the vote saying that the legislation was in accord with coalition agreements which called for new regulations to stem the tide of immigration into Italy.

His comments were supported by National Alliance deputy Gian Paolo Landi who said that illegal immigrants were also a threat for those who entered the country within the framework of the law.

"We cannot accept that there are neighbourhoods in our cities which are no-go areas for the police," he said. But left-wing leaders were much more critical, with Communist and Green deputies describing the bill as "unjust, fascist and racist".

"We are in the process of creating a climate of hate and fear in the country," the head of the opposition Democrats of the Left parliamentary group, Luciano Violante, said while Pierluigi Castagnetti from the other main left grouping, the Daisy, claimed the legislation would do nothing to restrict clandestine immigration.

The new law, if ratified, will only allow residence permits to be granted to foreigners who already have a contract for employment in Italy. Those losing their jobs before that time will have to leave the country.

In addition, immigrant parents will only be able to bring their children to join them in Italy if these children are under 18 years of age. The legislation also suggests tougher penalties with immigrant smugglers likely to face up to 12 years in prison as well as stiff fines-