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Italy's far-right Interior Minister has been criticized for a proposal that would force what he calls "small ethnic shops" to close at 9 pm.
Matteo Salvini added the measure to his immigrant safety decree, saying that night groceries, mostly run by foreigners, are "a meeting place for drug traffickers and ranchers".
He claimed that the initiative was not aimed specifically at foreigners and was simply a means of "limiting the abuse of certain stores".
Thousands of grocery stores in Italy are run by immigrants, mostly Bangladeshi and Indians, many of whom have bought cheap premises during the financial crisis.
Mauro Bussoni, General Secretary of Confesercenti, an association of retailers, said: "You can not pass legislation that discriminates against some entrepreneurs over others.
"People who carry out a commercial activity have rights and duties: the duty to respect the rules and the right to remain open, whether the activity is managed by a foreigner or an Italian."
Carlo Rienzi, president of Codacons, a consumer association, said it was unfair to "generalize," while noting that shops that were open late at night were essential for people looking for "last-minute" purchases ". But he agreed that there should be a crackdown on outlets that have "created disorder" or "degraded" historic downtowns.
Andrea Marcucci, a politician from the center-left Democratic Party, said the imposition of curfews was part of the premises of "a regime".
If the proposal became law, said an industry source, it should also apply to Italian outlets, including bars, while security measures should also be extended to foreign business owners. .
"Some say that Italians go to their store late at night and try to extort money from them," the source said. "But they are too scared to report such incidents to the police."
Salvini's security decree, released in September, provides for the removal of key protections for immigrants and facilitates deportation.
On Thursday, he reiterated his intention to hire an additional 10,000 police officers, an initiative funded by funds that were previously used to fund projects for the reception and integration of migrants. Parliament has until mid-November to debate and amend the decree before it becomes law.
Salvini's latest proposal comes after Luigi Di Maio, his coalition partner, announced that measures would be introduced by the end of the year to limit Sunday trading in order to preserve family traditions.
