Italian authorities have deported Pakistani imam Ali Kashif after he publicly defended child marriage on television, a move Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ordered immediately. The 25-year-old, who had lived in Italy for six years, was removed under national security laws that allow expulsion of foreigners deemed a danger to society or a threat to public order.
The case arose from an undercover segment on the TV programme Fuori dal Coro, in which a reporter posed as a student. In the footage aired on Rete 4, Kashif said nine-year-old girls could marry men in their 30s and 40s. The broadcast prompted public outrage and a review by authorities in Brescia.
Officials said the deportation order cited public order and safety concerns and noted Kashif did not have a valid residence permit at the time. He was escorted by police to Milan’s Malpensa Airport and placed on a flight to Islamabad, Pakistan.
The incident has prompted political debate, with lawmakers and officials calling for stricter measures against practices and interpretations of religious doctrine seen as incompatible with Italian law and social norms. Authorities have not released further details about any legal proceedings related to the broadcast.
