Italy suspends asylum for migrants who 'endanger society'

Rome, Sep 24 (IANS/AKI) Italian authorities will suspend the applications of asylum seekers who pose a "risk to society", Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday after the cabinet approved a security decree.

"If the chief of police decides that an individual poses a particular risk to society, he can suspend their request for asylum," Salvini said.

Salvini said the measure was a response to the case of a bus driver in the northern city of Como who was allegedly severely beaten by several members of a group of African asylum-seekers who boarded the vehicle without tickets in June.

The security decree also strips convicted terrorists of their Italian citizenship and removes (two-year) humanitarian protection for migrants, replacing this with a one-year residence permit issued for medical or other specific reasons.

Among other measures, the decree also tightens the criteria for political asylum requests and doubles to 60 days, extendable for a further 30, the length of time migrants can be held in deportation centres.

The decree enters into effect immediately but must be voted into law by the Italian Parliament within 60 days.

--IANS/AKI

mr/