The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked the Italian parliament to approve some key amendments to draft immigration legislation, including abolishing sanctions on rescue ships, and the elimination of the concept of "safe country of origin".
The Italian cabinet, on Monday, approved a new decree on migration and security in the country. It is in distinct contrast to the two previous decrees by former interior minister Matteo Salvini. The new decree is intended to return to a “system of reception and integration.”
The latest draft of the decree to modify two previous security decrees by former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is now headed to the Italian cabinet. The draft includes a reform of the migrant reception system, the broadening of conditions that allow for applying for humanitarian protection, and the possibility to convert stay permits into work permits.
Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese has announced that a new draft decree on immigration has been finalized. The proposed legislation changes the hosting system to include asylum seekers as well as those granted international protection, the minister said.
A regulation introduced by Italy's former interior minister Matteo Salvini that denies asylum seekers the possibility to be listed in the official registry has been rejected by the country's Constitutional Court. The regulation had been brought in as part of a ''security decree'' and complaints that it was unconstitutional had been filed by courts in Milan, Ancona and Salerno.
Italy's government coalition continues to be divided on changes to ex-interior minister Matteo Salvini's migrants-security decrees. Salvini's former government coalition partner, the Five-Star Movement (M5S), wants to postpone the issue to September while its current ruling partner, the Democratic Party (PD), is asking to speed up a reform.
In Italy, the state can take four years to process a citizenship requests. That time is necessary, given an increase in requests, according to Michele Di Bari, the head of the interior ministry's immigration department.
An Italian court has ordered the seized sailboat Alex Mediterranea to be released. The ship of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans was confiscated last July after it had rescued 59 people in the Mediterranean.
Catholic charity Caritas in Milan has reported that it helped 77 migrants affected by a new security and immigration decree to become independent in a year, helping them avoid the negative effects of the legislation.
Italian authorities have arrested a Libyan citizen after a Somali immigrant accused him of torturing people at a "Safe House" in Libya.
By the end of 2020, the number of undocumented migrants in Italy could surpass 670,000. That is more than twice as many as only five years ago, according to a report by Amnesty International.
The Italian Court of Cassation has rejected an appeal filed by the prosecutor's office against an order to release Carola Rackete, the captain of the Sea-Watch 3 migrant rescue vessel. In June 2019, Rackete was temporarily arrested after she illegally entered the Italian port of Lampedusa with 40 migrants on board.