The Vatican has criticised alarm over an alleged Romanian 'invasion' following that country's entry into the European Union at the start of the year.
"An invasion of Romanians? Such alarmism is totally unjustified," observed Msgr. Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Iterant Peoples.
"All this does not reflect reality. Even in the past when other countries joined the EU, for example Poland, there was fear over an invasion of immigrants," he recalled on Wednesday.
"If my memory serves me well, there were even governments which took counter-measures. Then, as the months passed, it became clear that such alarmism was totally unwarranted. There was no invasion then and there will be none now," Msgr. Marchetto added.
Turning his attention to the fear of an influx of gypsies, the Church official said "I have read in the press about fears of an influx of Roma people. But even in this case there has been excessive alarmism".
"All things considered, I am convinced that there will no invasion of any kind. We must accept the phenomenon of migration in our society and that of Europe.
"It is a structural reality we cannot deny. What is needed is thought, calm and understanding. It is a Christian's duty to help these brothers integrate," the prelate said.
In a direct reply to Msgr. Marchetto, Senator Piergio Stiffoni of the devolutionist and anti-immigration Northern League said "there is going to be a dangerous invasion and I totally disagree with the position of the Holy See".
"While it is right for the Vatican to preach to the people of the world, I must point out that over the past ten years many Romanians in Italy have been disobeying our laws, often violating them in a cruel away," he added.
"The Vatican should take note of the data which shows how from November 2005 to November 2006 more than 1,000 Romanians were arrested. Of these 19 were for the murder of Italian citizens; 29 for the murder of non-EU citizens, 40 for rape; 62 for robbery; and 75 for robberies in which people were injured".
Earlier in the day, Isabella Bertolini, an MP for ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, called on the government to adopt restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants.
"The Italian government must adopt the same moratorium Spain, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany have to limit and control the entry of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens into the country," she said.
Bertolini, who is also Forza Italia's regional coordinator in Emilia-Romagna, added that "the risks to security and law and order from the entry every year of over 60,000 new immigrants, of mostly Roma origin with their nomad lifestyle, who will join the estimated 300,000 Romanians already in Italy are real and cannot be underestimated".
"Data has confirmed that some 150,000 workers will have their status legalised with the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the EU. This means that every year tens of thousands of new immigrants will fill the pockets of degradation and crime already present in Italy," she added.
