Intercepting would be immigrants in the international waters and sending them away to Libya is unchristian, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People has said.

He defended the right to asylum and asked the Italian Government to ensure that all in need of asylum are given the possibility of submitting their applications.

Archbishop Marchetto cited the Schengen Agreement which requires governments to give asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected, the possibility of appealing against the rejection of their applications.

He supported the proposal to grant Italian citizenship to the second generation immigrants, and the proposal to grant immigrants the right to vote in local elections.

Archbishop Marchetto criticized the point-based Permit of Stay system saying that it will complicate life for regular immigrants.

In order to avoid creation of ghetto estates, the best way forward is true integration and not assimilation, Archbishop Marchetto said. Immigrants should not become a copy of Italians, he said. He called for respect for Italian culture as well as the cultures of immigrants.

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Comments (1)

• |217.203.181.xxx |2010-03-11 13:17:19 Jesus  - God blees the italian immigrant
  God blees the immigrant (Archbishop Agostino Marchetto) ..is time for italian to wake up from sleep....Give the immigrant what belong to them (rights) and the culture will be respected with all full joy....
  
  Remember italian is a christian country ,, so do not disrespect the rules..
  
  Thanks
  Mr Jesus...
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