Italy

Increasing numbers of people, including Syrians and Afghans, apply for asylum in Italy amid concerns about substandard conditions in reception and emergency shelters. The government has created more spaces in shelters, reduced maximum immigration detention from 18 to 3 months and decriminalized undocumented entry. The European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to compensate a victim of police brutality during the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa and to create the offense of torture in national law. Episodes of xenophobic violence occur, some targeting Roma who endure evictions from informal camps, segregation, and discrimination.