Migrants in Ancona during a protest to be able to sign up at the official registry | Photo: ANSA
Migrants in Ancona during a protest to be able to sign up at the official registry | Photo: ANSA

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.

It is ''unreasonable'' to deny asylum seekers the possibility to sign up at the local registry, Italy's Constitutional Court ruled on July 9. The regulation preventing them from doing so had been introduced as the first measure of a security decree signed by former interior minister Matteo Salvini from the far-right, anti-immigrant League party.

The Constitutional Court examined issues of constitutional legitimacy raised by courts on the regulation, which denied asylum seekers the right to be listed on the official registry. 

The regulation was found to violate Article 3 of the Constitution for two reasons: its ''intrinsic irrationality, since the regulation does not contribute to the stated ends of territorial control of the security decree; and for the unreasonable disparity of treatment, since it unjustifiably makes it more difficult for asylum seekers to gain access to services that they also have a right to'', the court ruled. 

14/7 meeting to decide whether to annul Salvini decrees 

Parties of the government majority -- the Democratic Party (PD), Liberi e Uguali and Italia Viva -- celebrated the decision and urged that the decrees signed by Salvini be annulled as soon as possible. 

A meeting that was slated to take place on July 9 between Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese and representatives of the parties in the government majority to redraft the measures of the former interior minister has been postponed to July 14 due to parliamentary work. 

The draft drawn up by Minister Lamorgese includes several points:
  • the restoration of the possibility for asylum seekers to sign up at the official local registry
  • the annulment of enormous fines of up to a million euros for NGO migrant rescue ships and any crimes to be ruled on by judges and not prefects
  • an extension of special permits for those at risk of being subjected to ''inhuman and degrading treatment'' in their countries of origin
  • the halving of maximum time allowed for detention in CPR centers from 180 to 90 days 
  • more migrant reception as part of Italy's SIPROIMI international protection system

Changes soon 

The changes to the Salvini decrees, Lamorgese noted, "will be introduced soon and could go beyond those revealed by President Mattarella." 

The aim during the meeting Tuesday is to reach an agreement on the text drawn up by the minister. However, to avoid the risk that the decree may not be converted into law by Parliament, which is already dealing with several complex issues and will soon halt its work for a summer break, the regulation may not be passed until September.