Italian Bishops oppose throwing out EU immigrants who rely on benefits- Italy

"A proposal by a member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s ruling coalition to expel EU nationals living off state handouts has drawn a stinging rebuke from Catholic bishops in Italy.

A group of Italian clergymen criticised Interior Minister Roberto Marconi’s comments for stoking the fires of nationalist sentiment.

Giancarlo Perego of the Italian Episcopal Conference, an assembly of Catholic bishops, said the free movement of people is “one of the fundamental principles of tomorrow’s Europe.”

“To restrict the movement of people would put to that Europe of tomorrow in jeopardy and create an immigration policy that would reignite nationalist feelings,” Perego told Italian television."

EuroNews (Secular interests coverage; Independent but connected with multiple state broadcasters, and an official European Union affiliated broadcaster; European; anti-traditional European values special interests coverage)

22 / 08 | August / 2010