Thousands of people protest in Rome against the Italian "anti-migrant" decree

ROME: Thousands of protesters rallied Saturday in Rome to protest what they criticized as being an unfair anti-immigration policy promoted by the far right Minister of the Interior, Matteo Salvini .

Waving banners with slogans "Black lives count" and "Welcome everyone; Open borders ", have joined anti-racist activists who, according to the organizers, came from 50 different cities to defend migrants and protest against a recent decree on the rights of asylum seekers.

The Italian Senate, supported by Salvini's Northern League party and the Anti-Settlement Five-Star Movement, voted in favor of a decree facilitating the deportation of migrants and the counting of some of them. of Italian citizenship.

The event aimed to "say no to Salvini and no to racism," said Sergio Serraino, a member of a migrant aid association, who was participating in the protest.

The lower house of parliament has now until the end of November to approve the decree that puts an end to "humanitarian protection" residence permits – a form of lower-level asylum status in Italy. It also speeds up evictions of "dangerous" asylum seekers.

The UN refugee agency said the decree did not provide sufficient safeguards for vulnerable or special needs people such as victims of abuse or torture.

Salvini, whose far-right party forms a ruling coalition with the Five Star Movement, accuses other EU members of leaving an unfair share of migrants to Italy.