EU migration overhaul takes effect as Rome splits over repatriation plan

The EU's overhauled migration framework entered into effect on June 12, granting member states broader detention powers and permission to establish deportation centres outside the bloc. According to Reuters, the reform aims to tighten controls across the continent, though doubts persist about its practical impact on irregular crossings. The timing coincided with sharply divided opinion in Italy, where competing rallies on June 13 revealed deep fractures over how the government should handle asylum seekers and economic migrants.

Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets of Rome in rival demonstrations on Saturday, according to AP News and the Times of Israel. Opposition groups and legal advocates protested the government's security and migration package, which includes a migrant repatriation bonus scheme that critics say violates the constitution and ethical standards. Supporters of stricter migration controls held separate marches, underscoring the political salience of the issue ahead of parliamentary consideration of a far-right citizens' initiative seeking sweeping anti-migrant measures.