Rome - Italian parliamentarians gave Wednesday final approval to a package of security laws including harsher penalties for illegal immigrants who commit crimes and speedier expulsion procedures for people entering the country illegally.

With 161 votes for to 120 against, parliament's upper house, the Senate, passed the legislation which had been tabled by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's conservative coalition. There were eight abstentions.

Berlusconi won elections in April promising a tougher stance on law and order issues and on illegal immigrants, who many Italians blame for an increase in crime.

But the main opposition centre-left Democratic Party, who voted against the package, charges it is discriminatory because it punishes illegal immigrants involved in crimes not only for what they do, but also who they are.

The package also allows the government to deploy soldiers to work alongside the police in high crime areas. (dpa)