Italian town's denial of school meals to migrant children denounced as 'despicable' apartheid

A town in Italy that has denied school meals and bus services to the children of migrant families has been denounced as “despicable” by critics but applauded by the country’s hard-line interior minister, Matteo Salvini.

Around 200 children have been affected by the controversial new measures in Lodi, a town in the northern region of Lombardy that is run by the hard-Right League party.

Matteo Salvini, who is head of The League as well as interior minister and deputy prime minister, praised the mayor of the town on Monday, saying: “The gravy train is finished.”

But opposition MPs criticised the policy as “shameful” and verging on “apartheid”.

It is the latest manifestation of an increasingly hostile climate for foreigners in Italy, after the populist coalition banned NGO rescue ships from disembarking migrants and refugees in Italian ports.

Sara Casanova, the mayor of Lodi, decreed that migrant parents must submit paperwork from their countries of origin showing what, if any, property, assets and money they own.

“The mayor has done well,” said Mr Salvini, who has led a crackdown on refugees and migrants since coming to power in June.

“If there are people who have money, houses or land in their home countries, why should we give them services for free, while Italians pay for everything? Enough, the gravy train is finished. This is not racism, it’s justice and good sense.”

Critics said that migrant families in Lodi worked and paid taxes and so were eligible for school meals and transport.

Even if they did have assets in their home countries – unlikely because most are fleeing poverty or conflict or both – it was hard to obtain documentation.

“They are being asked to provide documents that show they have no assets of any kind, not just in their city of origin but in the whole country,” said Stefano Caserini, a councilor with an opposition party.

“The council really thinks there are real estate registries in countries like Burkina Faso and Togo? It’s bureaucratic madness.”

The decree was “racist” and had contributed to an ugly, anti-foreigner sentiment, Mr Caserini said.

He helped organise an appeal to raise funds for migrant children in response to the decree.

In two days, more than €60,000 was donated by Italians across the country.

The money will be given to migrant families who would otherwise struggle to provide their children with lunch.

The controversy in Lodi revealed divisions, once again, within the coalition. A leading member of the Five Star Movement, the anti-establishment party that governs with The League, strongly criticised the policy.

“If you come up with a decree like this, that creates discrimination, then you need to say sorry,” said Roberto Fico, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, who has previously criticised the crackdown on NGO vessels rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.

“After making your apologies, these children can then calmly go back to having school lunches.”

Laura Boldrini, a prominent member of a centre-Left opposition party, LEU, accused Lodi’s council of instituting a system that smacked of apartheid.

Ernesto Magorno, from the main opposition Democratic Party, said the decree was “despicable”, while his colleague Stefano Pedica said it was “shameful”.

In a separate development, Mr Salvini demanded answers from the French government after gendarmes were reported to have driven two migrants over the France-Italy border and dumped them in woods.

Italy has long criticised France for turning back migrants who cross the frontier near Ventimiglia, between the French and Italian Rivieras.

Italian police say they saw a French police van drop off the migrants near the mountain town of Claviere, west of Turin.

“I’m awaiting developments," Mr Salvini said. "I don't want to believe Macron's France uses its police to dump migrants in Italy in secret.

“But if someone really thinks they can treat us as Europe's refugee camp, breaching laws, borders and agreements, they are making a big mistake.”