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Italy’s centre-right coalition has adopted a tough law against illegal immigration, despite fierce criticism from the opposition, rights groups and the Vatican. The senate, Italy’s upper parliamentary chamber, endorsed a vote by the lower house in May bringing the package of measures into full force with 157 in favour, 124 against and three abstentions. Under the new law, illegal immigration becomes a criminal offence; anyone caught housing an illegal immigrant could face jail. Parents will also have to present their passport or residency permit when they declare the birth of a child, which some critics have warned could lead to a generation of ‘invisible’ children growing up outside the system. The new law would ‘deprive children of their most basic rights,’ said Raffaele Salinari, the president of the Italian branch of Terre des Hommes, a campaign group dedicated to protecting the rights of children. During its slow passage through parliament, the opposition left at one point denounced the measures as reminiscent of Italy’s fascist era. Perhaps the most controversial measure is a measure permitting ‘citizens groups’ to mount patrols on the lookout for public order offences. After objections that they would be little more than vigilante groups, the local authorities will monitor their activities. This measure was particularly sought after by the fiercely anti-immigration Northern League, part of Berlusconi’s coalition government, who have a strong presence in the richer northern part of the country. In parliament, the opposition put up a bitter fight against the bill. Dario Franceschini, leader of the Democratic Party, compared it to the racial purity laws introduced by Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime in the 1930s onwards. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, a senior figure in the League, dismissed the charge as ‘laughable’. The new law makes illegal immigration a criminal offence punishable by a fine of between 5,000 and 10,000 euros (7,000 and 14,000 dollars) and immediate expulsion. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who made the issue a cornerstone of the election campaign that saw him returned to power in May 2008, had originally intended to make it an imprisonable offence. He was forced to reconsider because of the overcrowding in the prison system, which has reached record levels. The law extends the period of detention for illegal immigrations to six months from the current two months, to allow more time for them to be identified so they can be sent back to their home country. While other European countries have not actually criminalised illegal immigration several, including France and Greece, have already adopted similar measures.