Cutro Decree opponents say 'no' to emergency approach

(see related) (ANSA) - ROME, APR 18 - Organizers of a peaceful protest in Rome on Tuesday against new proposed restrictive migration policies currently before parliament denounced the representation of migration as an emergency and said the government is increasing the problems rather than solving them.
    "Today we want to bring to the streets that part of Italy which we believe is a majority, which does not listen to the lies of the right-wing government and is not willing to accept a representation of this (migration) phenomenon always as an emergency and with answers that increase the problems of the territories instead of solving them," said Filippo Miraglia, head of immigration at ARCI and coordinator of the Tavolo Asilo e Immigrazione (Asylum and Immigration Table) that organized the sit-in.
    Miraglia also said city mayors were "right" to appeal to the government against government plans to weaken the country's protection regime for refugees and asylum seekers by scrapping the special protection status offered to asylum seekers who do not qualify for international protection under national law. The mayors will be the ones who have to handle the negative consequences, he said.
    On Monday Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said that there is a danger of 'tent cities' forming in many parts of Italy if the plans go through after he and the centre-left mayors of Rome, Turin, Bologna and Florence signed an appeal at the weekend calling on the government to reconsider.
    Miraglia also called for Europe to set up "a public search and rescue program to prevent people from dying at sea" and for the introduction of humanitarian visas allowing "people to turn to the state to cross borders and ask for protection". (ANSA).