Piantedosi: “We are not prepared to back down on the CPRs”

"We are not prepared to back down on the CPRs because we are firmly convinced of the usefulness as well as the legitimacy of this initiative. These centres serve not only to penalise people’s irregular residence status but also to contain the danger they pose,” said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, speaking at Il Foglio’s ‘Festival of Optimism’ in Florence, referring to the government’s plan to establish six new repatriation centres, one of which will be in Tuscany. “We do, at times, hear some objections from local councillors – though these are the very same people; I am not referring to President Giani – who, when incidents are committed by a foreign national who has been deported, are the first to ask, ‘Why didn’t you deport them?’” The minister concluded: "It is precisely to respond to this call from the very local authorities who, at times, express this pre-emptive opposition, that we are determined to press ahead."  

Commenting on the student demonstrations currently taking place in France, the minister said that “there is certainly coordination between movements operating on the European and international stages. Among the several hundred people detained following the violence at the TAV construction site, we found a significant and diverse foreign presence. These were not only European citizens, mainly from France, Spain, Germany and Greece, but also people from Africa, including the Gambia and Morocco, and from South America. We have therefore detected signs of a sort of international network. This picture is also confirmed by the fact that, according to the information at our disposal, in some recent incidents in France – during demonstrations that were also marked by violence – the presence of people from Italy, particularly from Piedmont, was recorded. There is therefore coordination.” “Investigators and analysts are looking into the phenomenon in greater depth to understand whether this is a spontaneous coordination or whether there is a more structured organisation behind it,” emphasised Piantedosi, “it is an issue we are addressing with great care, not in the sense of conjuring up an enemy at our gates, but because we are analysing and monitoring it through the expertise of our police forces and the intelligence system.”

Piantedosi also ruled out any possible alliance with the president of Futuro Nazionale: “Vannacci at the Ministry of the Interior? I find that hard to imagine; I refer to what President La Russa said. The statistical probability of Vannacci striking a deal with the centre-right is zero. When it comes to remigration, I wonder how it differs from a repatriation programme, which under our government is growing by 20–25 per cent every year.” 

The Minister for the Interior also spoke about Casapound: “As I have always said, it is one of dozens of illegally occupied social centres that are gradually being cleared: sooner or later – sooner rather than later – it will be returned to its rightful owner. All social centres are treated in the same way.”