Italy’s far-right interior minister has come under fire for a
proposal that would force what he calls “little ethnic shops” to close by 9pm.
Matteo Salvini added the measure to his immigrant-targeting security decree, arguing late-night grocery stores, mostly run by foreigners, are “a meeting place for drug deals and people who raise hell”.
He claimed the initiative was not specifically aimed at foreigners and was merely a way to “limit the abuses of certain shops”.
Thousands of grocery stores across Italy are run by immigrants, mainly people from Bangladesh and India, many of whom bought premises for a low price during the financial crisis.
Mauro Bussoni, the general secretary of Confesercenti, a retail association, said: “You can’t make a law that discriminates some entrepreneurs over others.
Connect With Us