Rome, Dec. 18, (dpa/GNA) – The Italian Senate on Friday approved a security decree that paves the way for the scrapping of migration reforms championed by former hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini.
Only two lawmakers opposed the decree in Friday’s vote, which came after a brawl on Thursday in which politicians of different camps had to be separated by ushers.
News agency ANSA reported that the fight ensued after senators from the Lega party had objections about the voting process.
The new rules are to lower fines for sea rescue boats entering ports without authorization from half a million euros to between 10,000 and 50,000 euros (from 612,000 to between 12,200 and 61,200 dollars).
Rejecting migrants in need of protection would become more difficult under the new laws and measures to fight narcotics traffic would be tightened.
As interior minister, Salvini of the right-wing Lega had introduced punitive anti-migration laws in 2018 and 2019.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who already served as premier at the time, vowed to roll the measures back after the Lega left the coalition government and the Democratic Party (PD) took its place.
GNA