Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has proposed creating a points system for foreign residence permits. The announcement was made in an interview with the "Mattino 5" program last Friday, September 27th.
According to the Minister of Transportation and leader of the League, the model would work like a driver's license: foreigners would earn points for good behavior and lose them for crimes. "You behave well? You earn points. You cause problems? You lose points and go back to where you came from," he stated.
In a social media post, Salvini indicated that the proposal has the support of the coalition led by Giorgia Meloni. He also suggested that visa revocation would occur after "the first crime," without detailing the practical application.
Opposition reactions
The opposition criticized the idea, noting that legislation already allows visas to be revoked in serious cases. "It's nothing new; it shows how cynical and useless this proposal is," Matteo Mauri, a Democratic Party representative and former deputy minister of the Interior, told the website. Fanpage.
Marco Furfaro, also from the PD, quipped: "I propose points-based cards for politicians. Between lies and empty promises, Salvini's would be withdrawn before it was delivered."
Experts see legal obstacles
Former judge Paolo Remer assessed on the legal blog The Law for All that the measure would require broad reform of immigration laws and could violate Articles 2 and 3 of the Italian Constitution, which guarantee dignity and equality before the law.
Salvini had already tightened migration rules between 2018 and 2019, when he headed the Ministry of the Interior and approved the “Security Decree”. Since 2022, however, he has served as Minister of Transport and has had less influence on this issue, while his party has lost support to the Brothers of Italy party.