Around 2,000 migrants are expected to leave Italy per month as humanitarian residency permits expire, following the passage of the migration and security decree drafted by populist Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.
The new migrant and security decree, which is set to come into effect in January 2019, scraps the humanitarian residency permit. Those currently living in Italy with the humanitarian permits will not be able to renew them and face deportation instead, Il Giornale reports.
The law will also affect those currently in the waiting process for the residency permit as they will find themselves labelled as illegal migrants and will be given two weeks’ notice to leave the country.
Of the total number of asylum seekers who have requested asylum with the Protection System for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (SPRAR), around 33 per cent have requested or obtained humanitarian residency permits that were previously renewable on a two-year basis.
By the end of 2020, an estimated 32,000 migrants are believed to be affected by the changes and see their residency revoked.
If the asylum seekers choose to remain in the country, they will be added to the already large population of illegals which is estimated to be as high as 500,000 by Interior Minister Salvini who promised to deport at least that many people during the campaign leading up to the Italian national election earlier this year.
After reducing the number of migrants coming into Italy by blocking access of Italian ports to migrant-transport NGOs, Mr Salvini has focused his attention on deportations, announcing he would be putting 500,000 euros towards a repatriation fund this year which would increase to 1.5 million euros in 2019 and 2020.
“More immigration means more delinquency, the numbers are clear,” Salvini said in September and added, “to have managed to reduce so many landings and arrivals, despite threats and complaints, is a reason for pride for me.”