Italy Senate starts debate on immigration crackdown law

Italy’s Senate started on Wednesday a debate to vote a contested immigration crackdown legislation, as migrants continued to arrive by the hundreds at Lampedusa Island.

With the new proposed legislation, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing coalition government allies want to eliminate or vastly limit the “special protection” status Italian authorities have granted to thousands of asylum-seekers who are unlikely to have their applications approved.Holders of that status can currently stay in Italy for two years and legally work during that time.