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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