The Italian Constitutional Court has found that a 1998 legislation that immediately terminated the renewal of a migrant’s residence status if he or she is convicted of a felony, even if it is minor, is unconstitutional.
The court ruled on Monday that the local police chief must determine whether to renew the resident permit in cases where migrants are found guilty of minor offenses such as the sale of fake brand-name goods and the small-scale distribution of soft drugs.
After two foreigners filed appeals against the denial of their requests to renew their residence permits, another court requested that the Constitutional Court make a ruling on the matter. One had been found guilty of owning and selling tiny amounts of hashish, while the other had been found guilty of selling counterfeit items.
