Italy's nationalist government approved a bill in the upper house of parliament on Thursday that aims to reduce the number of migrants who can claim some form of asylum and curb integration efforts.
The bill, which still needs the approval of the lower house to become law, was drawn up after a shipwreck off southern Italy in February that killed more than 90 migrants.
Critics say the bill is repressive and will do nothing to halt the flow of migrants seeking a better life in Europe, but will instead force ever more newcomers into illegality. The government said the system was being abused, noting that in 2022 authorities had handed out 10 506 special protection permits against 7 494 permits offering refugee status and 7 039 that granted a separate form of international protection.The bill also halts state-funded Italian language courses and eliminates legal advice services for migrants hosted in official reception centres.
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