Rome Sees Large-Scale Pro-Migration and Anti-Migration Rallies

Thousands of people gathered in Rome’s Prati neighborhood on Saturday for rival demonstrations over migration policy. The event was part of an ongoing debate surrounding a petition that has garnered 50,000 signatures, advocating for sweeping measures targeting foreigners.

The petition, titled “Remigration and Reconquest,” proposes hardline migration measures, including coercive returns to countries of origin. A group affiliated with the Casapound organization, a neofascist party, held an anti-migrant rally in support of the proposal. At the event, some participants displayed fascist salutes and chanted slogans referencing Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

The debate on migration policy is complex for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition. The League party, part of her coalition, supports discussing the petition, while other parties have expressed caution due to concerns about extremist ties.

Critics argue that the proposal would violate constitutional and international anti-discrimination principles by targeting people based on ethnic background. Left-wing politician Angelo Bonelli stated that the “remigration bill” invokes a logic of exclusion incompatible with Italy’s constitution and fundamental principles of the rule of law.

Meanwhile, Meloni’s government has implemented a separate policy to expand legal migration, aiming to address labor shortages in key sectors through a multiyear plan admitting hundreds of thousands of non-EU workers. Thousands of police were deployed to maintain order during the demonstrations, ensuring the rival groups remained apart.

Source: Al Jazeera