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| Europe |
| Italy's illegal immigration soars |
| 2008-08-16 |
| The number of illegal immigrants entering Italy doubled in the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2007, Rome says. The figures come in spite of a government crackdown on crime and an increase in the number of deportations. More than 15,000 illegal immigrants entered the EU via Italy between January and July, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said. Mr Maroni, whose Northern League party formed part of the right-wing government coalition, has campaigned strongly against clandestine immigration. Most of the illegal immigrants come across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa. Many illegal immigrants arrive on boats organised by people traffickers. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has launched a crackdown on crime, which most Italians associate with illegal immigration. He brought in stringent new measures making it an offence punishable by up to four years jail to enter the country illegally. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 What!!!The Vatican actively encourages sanctuary protection and relocates refugees through its churches and members here in the US and Canada,but wants to deport these poor asylum seekers for not speaking Italian? The Vatican doesn't have anything to do with what the Italian government does, except the limited influence of any other sovereign state. As for the US and Canada, blame the bishops, especially the USCCB. The Vatican can remove bishops for limited reasons (say, straying from dogma or financial mismanagement), but they don't really have any direct control of a diocese's 'pastoral duties'. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-08-16 19:05 |
| #4 What!!!The Vatican actively encourages sanctuary protection and relocates refugees through its churches and members here in the US and Canada,but wants to deport these poor asylum seekers for not speaking Italian? |
| Posted by: Danielle 2008-08-16 17:22 |
| #3 About the only thing that might help is for an Italian naval response. Actively patrol for unauthorized ships, then tow illegal ships back to their native waters before disabling them, so they cannot be used for that purpose again without major repairs. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-08-16 10:08 |
| #2 Perhaps it is due to the crackdown that they are just getting a better handle on the number of illegal immigrants flowing into their country. Also, as in our own country, if the number of deportations has increased, a good number of those probably just come right back in again. It would have been a better article if the reporter had given us some idea of how the ratio of deportations to entering illegals impacts the overall number of illegal immigrants. |
| Posted by: Betty Grating2215 2008-08-16 08:21 |
| #1 How about cracking down on the traffickers instead? |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-08-16 05:54 |