Italy’s cabinet is expected to approve an emergency security decree on 20 October that will allow police to detain minors for up to 12 hours—even if no crime has been committed—when officers believe they pose a threat to public order. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said the measure responds to violent protests in Milan on 18–19 October that saw shops looted and tram lines blocked. Although the decree targets street disorder, interior-ministry officials confirmed to business-travel association AITMM that the same powers will apply at railway stations, airports and port terminals. Officers will be able to move young people and undocumented migrants to on-site holding rooms for identity checks and to bar them from boarding transport for 48 hours. Fines of up to €10,000 are envisaged for those who violate the exclusion orders. Human-rights groups warn the rules could chill legitimate demonstrations and expose foreign workers to arbitrary profiling just as firms accelerate year-end project travel. Lawyers note that time spent in preventive detention does not count toward the 90/180-day Schengen stay limit, potentially creating complications for non-EU assignees close to their allowance. Practical tips for employers: ensure assignees carry passports (not just national ID cards) and a copy of their work contract when transiting major hubs; build 30-minute buffers into rail and airport connections; and brief under-18 exchange students on new curfew zones expected to be published region-by-region over the coming week.
Source: Reuters via Internazionale
