Roma – Italian parliamentarians have passed a bill making it a crime to enter or stay in Italy illegally, a move that supports Rome's crackdown on illegal immigration.
A confidence vote passed the bill in Italy’s lower chamber of Parliament, which is dominated by political allies of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The bill has to be passed by the Senate before becoming law.
If that happens, large fines await those who enter or stay in Italy illegally; the bill also foresees prison terms of up to three years for Italians who rent an apartment to illegal immigrants.
The legislation is just one of several measures Berlusconi has planned to step up the fight against illegal immigration.
Libya and Italy recently agreed to boost naval patrols off the Libyan coast to stop the many migrants who are trying to reach Italy in small makeshift boats and rafts.
Over the past week, Italian authorities have sent back more than 500 fugitives intercepted at sea without first checking them for asylum claims.
The political opposition, the U.N. refugee agency and the Roman Catholic Church have harshly criticized the crackdown. Rome argues it wants to stop human trafficking and minimize illegal immigration as Italy’s economy shrinks in the global downturn.
When it comes to the number of asylum claims per year, Italy ranks second in Europe after France.
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