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Italy’s stricter laws may shut
doors on Punjabis
WSN Network
CHANDIGARH:
Italian
government declared a nationwide state of emergency last Friday,
giving authorities additional powers to tackle the influx and combat
"persistent and exceptional" arrival of illegal immigrants. This has
created a major problem for immigrants.
And wanna be
immigrants are more scared. Many go to Italy illegally through
travel by ships for months and then live hidden lives. If the law
becomes more strict, it will become even more difficult. Going to
Italy is of course a lucrative option. Young boys spent as much as
Rs.12 lakh to reach Italy illegally. Once they reached, theylooked
towards fellow Punjabis for shelter as they don't have any legal
documents. So far Italy was seen as a safer place because people
were not deported easily. It used to give two weeks to an illegal
immigrant to leave the country or appeal against it. During this
time, they would slip underground.
Now they are
being ordered to leave within five days during which they would be
in Italian custody. The state of emergency, earlier only in the
southern provinces of Sicily, Puglia and Calabria, has been extended
to the entire country.
6 August, 2008
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