Romulus Mailat

Romania's Interior Ministry on Thursday denied that three Roma sisters - burned alive on Wednesday in a horrific incident when their camper in Rome was set on fire as they slept, were from Romania.

The Italian press agency AGI, had said that the three girls, aged four, eight and 20, were of Romanian origin.

Romanians living in Italy said they fear another wave of xenophobia after the deputy head of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Luigi di Maio, a member of the Eurosceptic Five Star Movement, claimed in a Facebook post that "Italy has imported 40% of Romania's criminals".