TENS of thousands marched through the streets of the Italian capital Rome in anti- and pro-migration demonstrations on Saturday.

This came after a far-right citizens’ initiative seeking sweeping measures against migrants gained enough support to be brought to Parliament.

A petition by the initiative, named “Remigration and Reconquest,” gathered the 50,000 signatures needed to trigger parliamentary discussion, pushing the once-fringe concept of “remigration” into the political mainstream. 

No date has been scheduled yet for a vote.

The proposal, promoted by right-wing groups, calls for sweeping measures targeting foreigners, including coercive returns, incentives to leave Italy and broader policies critics say could extend to legal residents.

Several thousand demonstrators from around Italy joined the anti-migration march. 

On several occasions, many of them raised their arms in the fascist salute, shouting “Duce! Duce!” a reference to Italy’s former dictator Benito Mussolini.

A rival, pro-migration demonstration saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets in another part of Rome on Saturday evening. 

Thousands of police were deployed to ensure the two rival groups would remain apart. No violence was reported.

The demonstrations came a day after a new set of European Union rules came into effect governing how each of the bloc’s 27 member states will deal with irregular migration and asylum-seekers.