Spanish gypsies staged a demonstration outside the Italian embassy here on Tuesday to protest against Italy's plans to adopt tough new laws against illegal immigration.
They also protested against the recent wave of violence against Roma encampments in Naples and other Italian cities.
The demonstration came after the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, and the Holy See at the weekend criticised plans by the center-right government of Premier Silvio Berlusconi to make illegal immigration a punishable criminal offense.
The Italian foreign ministry responded by observing that the criticism was premature given that the proposed law has yet to be presented to parliament, where it must clear both the House and Senate.
The demonstration in Madrid was organized by the Fondazione Gitanos, which claims to represent some 700,000 Spanish gypsies.
''We oppose the Berlusconi laws. One cannot generalize and judge everyone the same. If someone commits a crime, they should pay for it. Individuals should be punished, not a whole people,'' observed foundation head Jose' Eugenio Serrano.
According to foundation director Isidro Rodriques, gypsies came to Spain in the XV century and are fullY integrated into the community.
In recent years, he added, the Roma from Bulgaria and Romania have been coming to Spain ''and it cannot be ruled out that the tough measures adopted in Italy will force other Roma to go to other countries, including Spain''.
''The problem in Italy is that for a long time very little attention was paid to the Roma. In Spain, on the other hand, many communities adopted social measures to integrate them into society''.
In reply to the criticism from the UN and the Vatican, the Italian foreign ministry said that the proposed laws on immigration had nothing to do with xenophobia or racial discrimination.
The aim of the new legislation, the ministry explained, was to combat illegal immigration in full accordance with European Union laws.
