Tough action against Roma

The Italian government has proposed fingerprinting all Roma living in the country. In a leading article, The Independent has harsh words for the plan: "Italian voters knew what they were getting when they returned Silvio Berlusconi to power in May. The former leader's partners were the notoriously xenophobic Northern League. And, in a pitch designed to pander to the national hysteria over crime, Mr Berlusconi had promised to get 'tough' on foreigners, in particular, Italy's 150,000 Romany gypsies. ... It is estimated there are more than a million foreign domestic helpers in the country; most of them have an irregular immigration status and stand to be ejected under Mr Berlusconi's new law. ... Every act of popular violence against foreigners, every instance of official discrimination against the Roma, diminishes the country's claim to be regarded as a civilised nation."

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