- Italian navy and coast guard vessels are to be ordered
to open fire with live rounds on boats carrying illegal immigrants.
-
- The radical approach to Italy's asylum problem was outlined
by a senior minister in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's coalition government.
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- Reforms Minister Umberto Bossi said he was sick of illegal
immigrants and wanted to hear "the blast of cannons".
-
- "After the second or third warning, bang... we fire
the cannon," Mr Bossi told Corriere della Sera newspaper.
-
- "Without too much talking. A cannon to knock out
whoever may be there.
-
- "Otherwise, we're never going to put an end to this
problem."
-
- Asked whether it would be right to fire on immigrants
who are generally unarmed women and children, Mr Bossi was firm.
-
- "Whether they're good or bad, one way or the other
illegal immigrants have got to be chased away," he said.
-
- "The navy and coastguard should defend our shores
and use their cannons to do it.
-
- "That's the best way to enforce the law. No deferring
or turning back."
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- Until now, the Italian navy has only been permitted to
board boats at sea and escort them back to port, in line with international
practice.
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- Mr Bossi's comments come in the wake of a recent surge
in illegal immigration from north and central Africa.
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- More than 1,000 people have landed in southern Italy
in the last three days and nearly 3,000 so far in June.
-
- Mr Bossi, who heads the right-wing Northern League party,
threatened that if the government didn't start taking a harder line, he
would pull his support for the coalition.
-
- "Whether the government's allies agree or not, I
want to hear the sound of the cannons by the end of the week or I'm off,"
he said.
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- http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-12348960,00.html<
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