The Spectre That Haunts Italy: The Systematic Criminalisation of the Roma and the Fears of the Heartland

Costi, Natassa, Romani Studies

Within a few months of the Berlusconi government taking office in 2008, the populist coalition reignited the ongoing debate of immigration, social integration, security and crime by launching the government's proposed reform of the 'security packet' to curb violent immigrant crime. This article examines the implications of the reform on the Roma communities living in Rome and the debate that it has provoked in the context of the broader political discussion, which has developed in Italy since the 1990s, regarding immigration control and the securitisation of immigration. Utilising the theories of Human Security and Stress, the article sheds light on the way in which right-wing populism …

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Publication information: Article title: The Spectre That Haunts Italy: The Systematic Criminalisation of the Roma and the Fears of the Heartland. Contributors: Costi, Natassa - Author. Journal title: Romani Studies. Volume: 20. Issue: 2 Publication date: January 1, 2010. Page number: 105+. © Gypsy Lore Society Dec 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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