A Council of Europe report criticised Italian immigration policies as having a lack of regard to human rights principles. The Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, voiced concern over three Italian regions which, by declaring a state of emergency, have effectively placed greater powers in the hands of officials and local police. If placed in the wrong hands, these powers could threaten the Roma and Sinti’s social rights which guarantee a right to shelter and education. 

Additionally, the Italian Senate recently approved a measure which classifies illegal immigration as an ‘aggravating circumstance’ punishable with a custodial sentence of up to four years in prison. This could lead to a further ‘social stigmatization and marginalization of all immigrants’ and serves only to foster xenophobia among a wary Italian populace. In response, the Italian Interior Ministry rejected the report’s findings as ‘totally unfounded’.