Thousands of undocumented Filipino workers will be affected by Italy’s stringent laws against illegal migrants that include a measure allowing so-called "citizens groups" to conduct patrols and automatic expulsion.

Adopted on Thursday, the new law, which is widely criticized by the Vatican and human rights groups, makes illegal immigration a criminal offense punishable by a fine of between 5,000 and 10,000 euros and would subject an

illegal alien to immediate deportation.

Local migrant worker group Migrante feared that the new migration law would result in human rights abuses and greatly impact on remittance flows to the country.

"We are worried about the condition of our overseas Filipino workers (OFW) there. This new law is inhumane and unfair," Migrante vice chairman Roy Anunciacion said in an interview.

Anunciacion said Migrante would seek the help of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants to ensure that all Filipinos in Italy would be protected.

Italy is host to an estimated 120,000 Filipino workers. It is also the Philippines’ second largest source of foreign exchange remittance from Europe, next to the United Kingdom which has 203,000 workers.

Labor export is one of the cornerstones of the government’s economic policy. The Philippines has over eight million overseas workers, mostly concentrated in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, North America and Europe.

OFW dollar remittances account for 1/12th of the country’s gross national product (GNP) and contribute to consumer spending, which accounts for around 70 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

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