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Roberto Maroni, of the anti-immigrant Northern League, said the move would guarantee that those with the right to stay could live in decent conditions.
Those without that right, including children, would be sent home, he said.
The UN Children's Fund (Unicef) has criticised the proposal, as have opposition MPs.
Mr Maroni said the fingerprinting of Roma - or Gypsy - people would include "children too, to avoid phenomena like begging".
The Italian government has blamed illegal immigrants, mostly from eastern Europe, for the high crime levels in southern Italy.
Stunned and concerned
Opposition MPs said it was wrong to treat children as criminals.
Rosy Bindi, who held the post of family minister in the centre-left government that was ousted in January, said the initiative was "unacceptable".
It would lead to an "ethnic register" that would "treat Roma children as if they were hardened criminals", she said.
The head of Unicef Italy, Vincenzo Spadafora, said his organisation was "stunned and deeply concerned" by the proposal.
"We'd like to suggest to him (Mr Moroni) that to respect all children's right to equality he should record all Italian children in the same way," said Mr Spadafora.
"Roma children are no different from other children. Moreover children cannot and should not be treated as adults."
(BBC)
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