"We are troubled by the recent incidents of violence against Roma in Italy," said the director of OSCE's Warsaw-based Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Christian Strohal, on Friday.

The ODIHR urged Italian politicians to ensure the protection of the Roma population and called on the media to refrain from anti-Roma rhetoric.

Several Roma settlements near Naples were attacked and set on fire by residents from neighbouring communities following reports of a Roma teenager allegedly having attempted to kidnap a child.

Hundreds of Roma are reported to have fled their settlements for fear of further attacks or have been relocated by the authorities for security reasons.

"There has been a worrying rise of anti-Roma and anti-immigrant rhetoric in recent months across Italy. There must be no place for racial stereotyping and inciting hatred and violence in a tolerant democratic society," said the organisation's top official for Roma and Sinti Issues, Andrzej Mirga.

Immigrants from Romania, in particular those of Roma origin, have been widely blamed by politicians and the media for an increase in crime in Italy, OSCE said.

Romanians currently form the largest immigrant group in Italy.

"Frustrations about high crime levels may be understandable. But the current stigmatisation of Roma and immigrant groups in Italy is dangerous as it contributes to fuelling tensions and increases the potential for violence," Strohal said.

The new conservative interior minister government this week vowed to fulfill the government's electoral pledge to bolster security in the country and the resources available for Italy's police and security services.

Police on Thursday announced the arrest of over 380 undocumented immigrants, scores of whom have been deported.

Special Roma Gypsy commissioners were also announced this week for the Italian capital, Rome, and for the northern industrial city of Milan.

Further criticism for Italy came on Friday from the Spanish government, which expressed unusually harsh criticism of Italy's measures against illegal immigration, saying Spain "rejects violence, racism and xenophobia."

"The government does not share the policy of expulsions without respect to the law and rights," deputy prime minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile at home, Italy's opposition Radical party slammed the recent government moves against the Roma Gypsies and illegal immigrants as "extraordinarily shocking, worrrying and undoubtedly in breach of European law."