ROME, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Italy's security decree which has entered into force following parliamentary approval last weekend, will draw continuous attention over its long-term effects, said Italian scholar Ivan Cardillo on Thursday.
The decree, first adopted by the government as an emergency measure, was converted into law and took effect last Saturday. The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, approved the conversion with 162 votes in favor, 102 against and one abstention, according to its official website.
Cardillo, an expert at Rome's LUISS University's Center for International and Strategic Studies, told Xinhua that the debate is unlikely to abate despite the decree's entry into force, pointing to its long-term impacts on migration governance and institutional balance.
The measure is part of the Italian government's broader policy, which prioritizes public security, stronger border control and more efficient migration management. The government says the decree is aimed at better protecting citizens, upholding law and order, and combating violence, urban degradation, illegal occupation, ordinary crime and irregular migration.
Some provisions, particularly those related to "assisted voluntary return" for migrants, had previously sparked institutional and legal concerns.
An earlier version stipulated that lawyers assisting foreign nationals in such procedures could receive about 615 euros (719 U.S. dollars) only after the migrants had actually left Italy, a mechanism that involved Italy's National Bar Council.
Following these concerns, the government revised the provision through a corrective decree, removing the direct role of the National Bar Council and stipulating that payment should be made to appointed representatives based on assistance actually provided, rather than on the migrant's departure.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella later promulgated the conversion law and signed the corrective decree. Italy's ANSA news agency reported that the two measures were adopted together, allowing the security decree to take effect while addressing legal concerns over the disputed provision.
Cardillo said the decree signals further tightening of Italy's migration and security policies and is expected to strengthen the government's tools of dealing with irregular migration, making return procedures, deterrence measures and the management of reception and detention facilities more central to migration policy.
He added that it could also enhance the authorities' capacity to address urban security risks, placing greater emphasis on prevention and enforcement.
