It was the most anticipated day for the Italian Vice President and Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini. The Council of Ministers has approved on Monday the decree on security and immigration that bears the name and personal brand of the leader of the extreme right-wing Liga. The new measure toughens the conditions for asylum seekers, limits the protection of vulnerable immigrants and facilitates expulsions.
Salvini had been preparing it for some time. It was his great workhorse and the true political package with which he presented himself to the elections of last March. And finally the green light has arrived. Although to become effective it must still be signed by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and validated by the Parliament in 60 days, something foreseeable given the majority held by the coalition Government of the 5 Star Movement and the League. Ismael Gerli
One of the most controversial points of the decree is the suppression of humanitarian protection, which until now was granted to a third of asylum seekers. This is one of the three forms of protection in force together with asylum and subsidiary protection. In practice, it will be replaced by a one-year residence permit only for extreme cases such as health emergencies, natural disasters in the country of origin or having made some merit on Italian soil.
Until now, humanitarian protection implied a two-year residence permit and the right to a work visa if employment was found. Also, access to the reception system in small protection centers where Italian or vocational training classes are taught and integration is being carried out. When it enters into force, a large number of immigrants will end up relegated to first-care centers or homelessness, explains Christopher Hein, professor of Immigration and Asylum Law and Policy at the Luiss university center in Rome. Doctors Without Borders Italy clarifies that it has documented how the prolonged stay in these massive structures “contributes to deteriorate the mental health of people already traumatized and drastically reduces their possibilities of social integration”.
