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07/04/2009: "Italy adopts tough new law against illegal immigration"

Italy adopted a tough law against illegal immigration yesterday, including a measure allowing citizens to mount their own patrols, despite fierce criticism from rights groups and the Vatican.

The European Commission announced it would examine the new measures to determine whether they comply with EU norms, warning that "automatic expulsion rules for entire categories are not acceptable."

Under the new law, illegal immigration becomes a criminal offence. Anyone caught housing an illegal immigrant could face jail, and parents registering a baby's birth have to present papers to show they are legal residents.

[ This makes perfect sense even from a populist point of view. This is what most Italians, indeed most westerners, want and it is simply democratic - not that democracy is the ideal form of government. ]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/italy-adopts-tough-new-law-against-illegal-immigration/article1205155/