The Italian government is moving forward with an amnesty for thousands of illegal immigrants, although some in the nation’s parliament have pushed for residency for just illegal migrant labourers.

The draft of the amnesty decree was published by Italian media this week, the document seeking to give six-month residency permits to migrants working in sectors such as agriculture and domestic work. The League’s Matteo Salvini has attacked the proposed amnesty, pointing to the millions of unemployed Italians who need work before illegals.

According to a report from newspaper Il Giornale, members of the five star Movement (M5S), who form the ruling coalition with the leftist Democrats (PD), demanded the residency permits be only given to labourers and for a period of just one month.

The permits have several requirements and will be granted only to illegals who can present proof they have already been working in Italy. “Temporary permits only to those who have already had an employment contract in 2019,” undersecretary of the Interior, Carlo Sibilia said.

Both the Five-star Movement and the Italia Viva party, a small party led by former Prime minister Matteo Renzi, stated the decree was not a general amnesty but “common sense.”

Between 500,000 and 600,000 migrants could be affected by the new decree but residency permits will be rejected if the migrant’s employer has been convicted of aiding illegal migration in the last five years or have engaged in recruiting migrants for prostitution or other illegal activities.

Migrants with deportation orders and those considered a threat to Italian public safety are also excluded from the amnesty.

Populist Senator Matteo Salvini promised to fight back against the amnesty saying, “Instead of securing jobs for the millions of unemployed Italians and the many regular and respectable immigrants present in Italy, the government thinks of an amnesty for thousands of illegal immigrants.”

Senator Stefano Candiani, also a member of Salvini’s League, added, “we will do everything democratically in our possession to stop this wicked project, we will collect signatures, if necessary, to promote a referendum and force them to the polls, where the Italians will punish them severely.”

Amnesty of illegals has been an issue considered by the leftist Italian coalition long before the coronavirus pandemic and was floated as early as January by Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com