"Human Rights Watch" Criticizes Italian Immigration Law

The organization "Human Rights Watch," concerned with human rights, announced today, Friday, that the new Italian law, which limits asylum rights in order to dissuade migrants from heading to Italy, is repressive and inhumane. Human Rights Watch stated in a press release, "The new law will have a devastating impact on the rights of migrants, including their ability to seek protection, receive fair asylum procedures, and exercise their freedom of movement." The law was enacted by the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which has a nationalist orientation, following a shipwreck off the southern coast of Italy in February that resulted in the deaths of more than 90 migrants. The law, which was passed by parliament last week, intensifies the prison sentences for human traffickers and limits the ability of new arrivals to obtain a residence permit that provides "special protection" if they do not meet the conditions for full asylum rights.