Interior Minister Angelino Alfano on Thursday warned of the risk to Italy of taking in too many migrants, saying this would fuel xenophobic sentiment.
"Italy is a country that is hospitable but tired," Alfano told Radio Anch'io. "Excessive hospitality fuels racism. If we don't want a xenophobic Italy that votes (Northern) League, we can't take them all," he said.
Italian immigration policy has been in the spotlight in recent weeks with the termination of the government's humanitarian migrant sea search and rescue programme Mare Nostrum and the launch of a border control mission headed by the EU border agency Frontex. The end of Mare Nostrum was applauded by political groups including the anti-immigration Northern League, but has raised questions about the rights and welfare of migrants who attempt the perilous sea crossing from north Africa to Italy in search of a better life in Europe. Alfano, who is also leader of the New Centre Right (NCD), a minor partner in the left-right government of Premier Matteo Renzi, set out his priorities for the coming year including a new law to combat terrorism.
"I will soon present the cabinet with a new anti-terrorism law containing measures against those wanting to go and fight voluntarily in war zones and for police checks on would-be terrorists, along the lines of those that already exist for mobsters," Alfano said.
Other priorities he said will include ensuring the certainty of legal punishment and security and decorum in urban areas. "According to our figures the crime rate has fallen by 9% in 2014," the minister added. Alfano re-confirmed the government's commitment to protect Palermo prosecutor Nino Di Matteo, who has been threatened from jail by former Cosa Nostra Mafia "boss of bosses" Toto Riina.
That includes bombs.
"The State is fine-tuning all the devices needed to protect him from ... remote control systems of explosive devices, but without damaging electronic equipment that might happen to be in his path," Alfano said.
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