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ROME, July 29: Italy’s centre-right government on Tuesday called out the army to help police fight crime, stem illegal immigration and defend potential targets of terrorism.
But the opposition criticised it as token window-dressing and warned that it could boomerang, hurt the country’s image abroad and even scare tourists away from coming to Italy.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni and Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa signed a decree that will send 4,000 soldiers on to the streets starting next week.
Some 3,000 of them will patrol with police in large cities such as Rome, Milan, Naples and Palermo.
They will also help guard areas like the Vatican, Milan’s cathedral, train stations, embassies and other “sensitive targets” — sites that could be subject to terrorist attacks.
Other soldiers will help guard detention centres where illegal immigrants are sent after they arrive in Italy, mostly on its southern shores.
“This proves that we are determined to eliminate citizens’ fears,” La Russa said of the plan, which will remain in effect for at least six months.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom swept to power in April’s election promising a tough line on illegal immigrants and crime. It dismisses criticism from the opposition centre-left which says it is exaggerating the problem.
FEARS FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY: “Sending the military out into the streets is essentially an image-building exercise that risks backfiring,” said Marco Minniti, shadow interior minister.
“Soldiers patrolling the centres of cities that are our greatest tourist attractions is not a very nice calling card for Italy at the height of the tourist season,” he said.
He and other opposition members accused the government of trying to save face after malaise within police forces, which have been affected by budget cuts.
Antonio Di Pietro, an opposition parliamentarian, said the measures would be as effective as “washing one’s face with dirty water” and that the real solution was not to call out the army but to give regular police greater resources.
“This is a task force without any force,” he said.
Immigration has jumped to the top of the political agenda after a spate of crimes linked to illegal immigrants, prompting legislation by Berlusconi’s government.
Last week, the government declared a state of emergency to deal with an influx of illegal immigrants, giving police and local authorities added powers to tackle related problems.
The government’s handling of immigration and minority issues — particularly regarding Roma people — has sparked criticism from the Vatican, human rights groups and some European bodies.
In a report, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, expressed concerned about “a trend of racism and xenophobia in Italy targeting primarily Roma, Sinti and immigrants from European Union or other countries”.
—Reuters
