Rome
Italy’s Council of Ministers has given the green light to a new immigration policy aimed at strengthening regulations, potentially ending special age-related protections for young asylum seekers. The move is part of a series of reforms aimed at addressing the increasing influx of migrants, particularly those arriving on Italy’s shores. The new policy allows authorities to assess the age of unaccompanied new arrivals. If individuals are determined to be over the age of 16, they may be placed in already overcrowded adult detention centers. Prior to this change, unaccompanied children in Italy were granted special protections under a European Union policy enacted six years ago. Additionally, the initiative grants authorities the power to deport foreigners considered a risk to public order or national security. Last week, the government also granted border officials the authority to detain individuals in detention centers for up to 18 months. According to data from the International Organization for Migration, nearly 200,000 migrants have arrived in the European Union by land and sea this year, with around two-thirds of them landing in Italy.
