Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, known for his anti-migrant stance, has ordered that migrants from the village of Riace, often cited as a model of integration, leave the town for housing centers. The mayor was arrested on suspicion of organizing white marriages.
The Italian Interior Ministry on Saturday ordered the transfer of migrants to Riace, a village presented as a model of integration, after the arrest of its mayor suspected of helping illegal immigrants through the reception centers. white marriages.
Close to the left, Domenico Lucano, who had welcomed migrants since 2000 in his depopulated village of Calabria (south), with the aim of boosting development and jobs, was arrested in early October.
The mayor allegedly organized white weddings
Assigned to residence, he is suspected of helping illegal immigration for promoting "marriages of convenience" to help women who have been denied asylum to stay in Italy.
He is also accused of having gone through a call for tenders to assign the management of garbage in his village of 1,800 inhabitants to cooperatives related to migrants.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini (far right) was pleased with his arrest, denouncing "the false good conscience that would fill Italy with immigrants" .
And the 5-star Movement (M5S) blog, the antisystem party in the ruling coalition, saw it as a sign that "the government of change has declared war on the immigration business . "
Repopulate a village
Supporters of Domenico Lucano saw in the example of Riace, funded since the 2000s by European and Italian funds, a way to revive depopulated villages while providing accommodation to hundreds of asylum seekers.
Matteo Salvini wants to limit projects inspired by the example of Riace and group asylum seekers in larger reception centers.
The transfer of migrants from Riace to other centers will start next week, according to the ministry, which has been investigating "obvious irregularities" in the migrant reception system since 2016.
The Italian State grants € 35 per day for each migrant he receives to cover his accommodation, food, language and pocket money.
An example of integration
The Italian government has asked for details of the breakdown of expenses to the mayor, who says his lawyers are preparing to appeal against the ministry.
"How is it possible to destroy the 'Riace model' that has been described by countless politicians, intellectuals and artists as an extraordinary experience? They want to destroy us , " said the mayor.
Mr. Lucano was named one of the 100 most influential personalities by Fortune magazine in 2016 and inspired a docu-fiction by Wim Wenders.
Uncompromising on immigration, Mr. Salvini has gained popularity in recent months: polls gave less than 10% before the legislative elections in March, he won about 17% of the vote and is now at the top of the voting intentions with more than 30%.