A quote from AKI, 16 May 2008

Spain’s vice-president Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega has accused the Italian government of racism and xenophobia. “The [Spanish] government rejects violence, racism and xenophobia, thus it does not agree with what is happening in Italy,” said Fernandez de la Vega at a media conference on Friday. [...]

Italy’s new centre-right government headed by Silvio Berlusconi, has arrested hundreds of people this week in raids against migrant camps in several cities including Rome and the southern port city of Naples. Most of the 383 foreigners arrested on Thursday were from North Africa and Romania. Earlier this week a number of Roma Gypsy camps were attacked and set on fire, after a 17-year-old Roma girl was arrested for allegedly attempted to kidnap a six-year-old girl.

 
A quote from AGI, 16 May 2008

“For some time Italy has been the gateway of the Mediterranean, but this door now needs to be slammed shut because we have a duty to defend our citizens and guarantee their safety” affirmed Italy's Minister for Community Policies, Andrea Ronchi, in an interview given to daily Il Corriere della Sera. “We – he went on – shall punish illegal immigrants, irregular stays by foreigners who commit crimes on our territory. And this is our full right as a nation [...]”.

 
A quote from AKI, 16 May 2008

Italy’s new conservative interior minister Roberto Maroni said on Friday the country needs “firm measures” to tackle the “security emergency” caused by illegal immigration. […] “Firm measures” are needed to renew police trust and prevent people taking matters into their own hands, Maroni said.