Italy approves security decree after protests, government amends migrant repatriation rule

Italy’s parliament approved the government’s security decree on Friday amid opposition protests, while the Cabinet adopted a corrective decree addressing concerns about a controversial provision incentivizing lawyers assisting migrants with voluntary repatriation, ANSA reported.

The security decree, which was due to expire Saturday, passed as opposition lawmakers sang the World War II Resistance anthem, Bella Ciao, displayed placards that read: “Our security is the Constitution,” and held poppies ahead of Liberation Day commemorations, according to the report.

The Cabinet also approved a separate decree to extend the incentive, initially aimed at lawyers, to other operators such as mediators, in a bid to respond to constitutional concerns raised by President Sergio Mattarella, according to the report.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected opposition criticism that the government mishandled the legislation, saying the issues raised had been addressed.

“We’re bringing together some technical considerations from the president’s office and from lawyers regarding the security decree, which I don’t consider a mess,” said Meloni, according to ANSA.

She defended the incentive linked to assisted voluntary repatriation, calling it “absolutely a common-sense measure.”

The broader security decree includes provisions on preventive detention ahead of demonstrations, measures targeting youth gangs, restrictions on knife sales to minors and protections for police in self-defense cases, the report said.

Criminal lawyers said, however, that the amendments did not resolve concerns and called for the incentive rule to be repealed, according to the report.