Italy Eyes Policy to Swiftly Deport Foreign Offenders, Strip Citizenship
Italian Government Proposes Tougher Measures on Foreign Offenders and Citizenship
Overview of the Draft Bill
ROME, July 8 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing party presented a draft bill on Wednesday to promote the repatriation of convicted foreign offenders and make it easier to strip them of Italian citizenship.
Key Provisions of the Proposal
- Under the proposal, all non-EU nationals sentenced to more than one year in prison would be deported to their home countries, regardless of whether they consent.
- During a press conference in parliament, members of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party said deportations would take place under bilateral agreements to be negotiated with the countries concerned.
- Offenders would have only limited grounds to challenge deportation, including the risk of inhuman treatment or the death penalty in their home country.
- Repatriated prisoners would be barred from returning to Italy.
Impact on Citizenship Laws
- Brothers of Italy lawmaker Sara Kelany said the proposal would also broaden the range of offences that could lead to the revocation of Italian citizenship for foreign-born offenders.
- Parliament is separately discussing a proposal by coalition partner the League that would tighten citizenship requirements and make it easier to lose Italian nationality.
Political Context and Implications
- With a parliamentary election due next year, the League and Brothers of Italy are facing pressure from Futuro Nazionale, an emerging far-right anti-immigration movement that polls suggest is drawing support away from both parties.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Angelo AmanteEditing by Gareth Jones )
