Italian authorities' decision to fingerprint the people who live in the gypsy camps in their country, the children included, is causing hot disputes in the Parliament of Europe, who is to adopt a resolution on it tomorrow. The European Commission is preoccupied with the risks implied in such a decision, but the members are waiting for get a "complete report" from Rome by the end of the month. The Italian interior minister Roberto Maroni has described as "grotesque" the debate the Parliament of Europe is going to have this week, aimed at a resolution critical of the Italian government's policy discriminating the Roma. Hundreds of people have protested against it in Rome. In the Esquilino, a multicultural historical quarter in Rome, volunteers are still collecting digital fingerprints, an initiative promoted by the civic organization called "Arci", meant to show support for the Roma, La Stampa reports. Many Italian intellectuals and politicians have so far responded to it. Paolo Beni, a president of the organization, comments: "We are having this symbolical initiative as the mass fingerprinting of minorities simply because they are ethnic minorities is unacceptable." (...) Unacceptable measures MEPs have already debated on the measures taken up by the Italian government and some of them are concerned because of the racist nature of it. Monica Frassoni, a representative of the green group, has argued that the incrimination of Roma groups can't possibly continue by such "fierce and cheap policies". Jan Marinus Wiersma, a MEP from the Netherlands, has commented in his turn that the Italian authorities' approach is unacceptable, since there is no reason to fingerprint the children. According to Marian-Jean Marinescu, a vice resident of the EPP group, what Romania was asked for, that is coherent integration programs based on European principles, should be demanded from any other member state. He comments such programs must avoid discriminating actions such as the one recently taken by the Italian government, which can harm the fair citizens. He has claimed it could lead to a negative, unfair image of the Romanians who live and work in Italy, enjoying appreciation from the communities they are integrated in. (...)

Bogdan GALCA