By John Phillips
ROME
Italy is considering passing a decree law to make it illegal for Italians to fight for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria and Iraq, Italian Undersecretary for Home Affairs, Domenico Manzione, has said Wednesday.
Premier Matteo Renzi's cabinet could pass the decree on foreign fighters as soon as Thursday, Manzione told reporters on the fringes of the inauguration of a museum on the Shoah in Florence.
He said on Wednesday that the text of the law "would foresee the possibility of introducing into our order sanctions against people who are enrolled to go and fight abroad".
Manzione said: "We all have a problem in Europe of the so-called 'returning fighters' from war zones.
"We have it less than other European countries but, since the phenomenon is there, the government seriously is considering approving a decree law for Thursday, or otherwise a delegate law, that would deal with this subject."
'Growing demands'
A decree law in Italy has to be approved by parliament within 90 days, but takes immediate effect.
Meanwhile, the Italian police force on Wednesday ordered border controls to be reinforced amid the alarm caused by the attacks in France two weeks ago.
The police' Central Migration Directorate said in a circular letter: "The growing security demands deriving from the current international scenario make it necessary to strengthen and optimize (border controls)."
It ordered officers working at border posts to make "systematic use" of databases to help combat international terrorism.
The Italian national intelligence coordinating body, Copasir, also called for more protection for secret service agents working under cover against terror suspects and said the government should make a "significant increase" in the resources available so new staff can be hired and new equipment purchased to counter cyber terrorism, interior ministry sources said.
