Immigration to Italy

In 2021, Istat estimated that 5,171,894 foreign citizens lived in Italy, representing about 8.7% of the total population.[1][2] These figures do not include naturalized foreign-born residents (about 1,620,000 foreigners acquired Italian citizenship from 1999 to 2020, of whom 130,000 did so in 2020[3]) as well as illegal immigrants, the so-called clandestini, whose numbers, difficult to determine, are thought to be at least 670,000.[4]

Foreign residents as a percentage of the regional population, 2011

In 2021, around 6,260,000 people residing in Italy have an immigration background (around the 10.6% of the total Italian population).[5][6][7]

Starting from the early 1980s, until then a linguistically and culturally homogeneous society, Italy begun to attract substantial flows of foreign immigrants.[8][9] After the fall of the Berlin Wall and, more recently, the 2004 and 2007 enlargements of the European Union, large waves of migration originated from the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe (especially Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova and Poland). Another source of immigration is neighbouring North Africa (in particular, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia), with soaring arrivals as a consequence of the Arab Spring. Furthermore, in recent years, growing migration fluxes from Asia-Pacific (notably China,[10] South Asia, and the Philippines) and Latin America have been recorded.

Since the expansion of the European Union, the most recent wave of migration has been from surrounding European states, particularly Eastern Europe, and increasingly Asia,[11] replacing North Africa as the major immigration area.[12]

Romanians made up the largest foreign community in the country (1,077,876; around 10% of them being ethnic Romani people[13]) followed by Albanians (433,130) and Moroccans (428,940).[14] The fourth largest, but the fastest growing, community of foreign residents in Italy was represented by the Chinese; as of 2021 there were 330,495 foreigners holding Chinese citizenship.[15][16] The majority of Chinese living in Italy are from the city of Wenzhou in the province of Zhejiang.[17] As of 2021, foreign citizens' origins were subdivided as follows: Europe (47,6%), Africa (22.25%), Asia (22.64%), The Americas (7.49%), and Oceania (0.04%).[18]

The distribution of foreigners is largely uneven in Italy: in 2020, 61.2% of foreign citizens lived in Northern Italy (in particular 36.1% in the Northwest Italy and 25.1% in the Northeast Italy), 24.2% in the Central Italy, 10.8% in the South Italy and 3.9% in the Insular Italy.[19]

The children born in Italy to foreign mothers were 102,000 in 2012, 99,000 in 2013 and 97,000 in 2014.[20]

Statistics
Italy is home to a large population of migrants from Eastern Europe and North Africa.
Senegalese workers at the Potato festival in Vimercate (Lombardy) in 2015
data analysis of foreign people who live in Italy since 2022
Foreign citizens in Italy - 2022

On foreigners only, for more information dealing with foreigners who have subsequently acquired Italian citizenship refer to Eurostat site.

Total foreign resident population on 1 January[note 1]
YearPopulation
20021,341,209[21]
20031,464,663[21]
20041,854,748[21]
20052,210,478[21]
20062,419,483[21]
20072,592,950[21]
20083,023,317[21]
20093,402,435[21]
20103,648,128[21]
20113,879,224[21]
20124,052,081[22]
20134,387,721[23]
20144,922,085[24]
20155,014,437[6]
20165,026,153 [25]
20175,047,028 (8.34%)[26]
20185,144,440 (8.52%)[27]
20195,255,503 (8.7%)[28]
2020 5,039,637 (8.4%)[29]
2021 5,171,894 (8.7%)[30]
Foreign citizens (thus not including naturalized Italians and descendants) by country of origin [note 2][31]
Country20082009201020112012201320142015201620172018 20192020 2021 2022[32]Regions with significant populations
 Romania625,278Increase 658,789Increase 726,151Increase 782,014Increase 834,465Increase 933,354Increase 1,081,400Increase 1,131,839Increase 1,151,395Increase 1,168,552 Increase 1,190,091 Decrease 1,143,859Increase1,145,718 Increase 1,576,412 Increase1,983,771Lazio
 Morocco365,908Increase 368,608Increase 388,406Increase 400,695Increase 408,667Increase 426,791Increase 454,773Decrease 449,058Decrease 437,485Decrease 420,651Decrease 416,531 Decrease 406,112Increase414,249 Increase428,947 Decrease 420,172Lombardy
 Albania401,949Increase422,142Increase441,182Increase450,190Increase450,908Increase464,962Increase 495,709Decrease 490,483Decrease 467,687Decrease 448,407Decrease 440,465 Decrease 423,212Decrease421,591 Increase433,171 Decrease 419,987Lombardy
 Germany156.519Decrease154,066Increase168,048Increase184,173Increase197,064Increase223,367Increase 256,846Increase 265,820Increase 271,330Increase 281,972Increase 290,681 Decrease 283,430Increase288,923 Increase330,495 Decrease 300,216Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
 Ukraine132,718Increase134,351Increase150,527Increase171,586Increase180,121Increase191,725Increase 219,050Increase 226,060Increase 230,728Increase 234,354Increase 237,047 Decrease227,867Increase228,560 Increase235,953 Increase265,307Campania
 China77,432Increase85,682Increase97,246Increase109,177Increase118,409Increase128,903Increase 142,453Increase 147,815Increase 150,456Increase 151,430Increase 151,791 Decrease147,153Increase 153,209 Increase165,512 Decrease162,492Lombardy
 North Macedonia55,242Increase60,433Increase67,267Increase 73,761Increase 81,683Increase 92,695Increase 111,223Increase 115,301Increase 118,790Increase 122,428Increase 131,967 Decrease131,023Increase138,895 Increase158,020 Increase159,003Lombardy
  Switzerland105,675Decrease105,366Increase112,642Increase120,019Increase129,188Increase139,835Increase 162,655Increase 168,238Decrease 165,900Increase 166,459Increase 167,859 Decrease158,049Decrease157,665 Increase165,443 Decrease158,997Lombardy
 Egypt69,572Decrease54,838Increase58,587Increase 62,400Increase 66,932Increase 76,691Increase 96,008Increase 103,713Increase 109,871Increase 112,765Increase 119,513 Increase 119,864Increase128,095 Increase139,569 Increase140,322Lombardy
 Ecuador49,344Increase50,082Increase 57,808Increase 66,323Increase 71,031Increase 80,658Increase 90,615Increase 96,207Increase 101,784Increase 108,204Increase 114,198 Increase 116,631Increase121,609 Increase135,520 Decrease134,182Lombardy
 Moldova40,641Decrease38,676Increase41,486Increase44,734Increase48,220Increase 56,476Increase 66,833Increase 71,158Increase 77,264Increase 88,533Increase 106,069 Increase 114,096Decrease113,049 Increase119,089 Increase119,435Veneto
 Philippines68,591Increase85,327Increase 99,867Increase122,374Increase132,175Increase139,734Increase 149,434Decrease 147,388Decrease 142,266Decrease 135,661Decrease 131,814 Decrease 122,762Decrease118,516 Increase122,667 Decrease114,914Emilia Romagna
 Serbia
 Kosovo
 Montenegro		62,620Decrease60,364Increase63,883Increase 69,467Increase 73,702Increase 80,325Increase 90,863Increase 94,030Increase 98,176Increase 101,207Increase 105,937 Decrease 105,227Increase106,198 Increase111,092 Decrease 110,763Lombardy
 Croatia61,064Decrease57,765Increase61,955Increase 65,270Increase 71,573Increase 79,530Increase 95,007Increase 100,558Increase 102,316Increase 104,908Increase 107,967 Decrease 104,763Increase107,598 Increase112,018 Decrease 108,069Veneto
 Poland93,601Decrease79,205Increase80,538Increase81,068Increase82,997Increase88,291Increase97,317Decrease96,012Decrease95,645Decrease94,064Decrease93,795 Decrease90,615Increase93,350 Increase97,407 Increase99,002Lazio
 Peru70,755Decrease72,319Increase80,455Increase88,850Increase93,841Increase99,173Increase109,851Decrease109,668Decrease98,176Decrease99,110Decrease97,379 Decrease91,859Decrease91,662 Increase96,546 Decrease94,131Lazio
 Sri Lanka90,218Decrease77,879Increase81,594Increase83,160Increase84,749Increase88,839Increase97,566Increase98,694Decrease97,986Decrease97,062Decrease95,727 Decrease88,803Decrease86,743 Decrease77,779 Decrease74,981Sicily
 Tunisia68,542Increase75,369Increase79,347Increase82,693Increase85,834Increase90,506Increase96,421Decrease92,378Decrease88,076Decrease83,579Decrease82,105 Decrease77,408Decrease73,909 Decrease73,629 Decrease70,348Sicily
 Pakistan73,235Decrease69,362Increase73,862Increase78,172Increase80,333Increase82,791Increase91,861Decrease91,259Decrease87,427Decrease83,120Decrease80,377 Decrease74,661Decrease72,644 Decrease72,193 Decrease66,590Lombardy
 India78,090Decrease65,809Increase69,208Increase71,315Increase73,972Increase76,608Increase78,424Decrease77,703Decrease73,512Decrease67,969Decrease65,347 Decrease60,581Decrease55,816 Decrease55,771 Decrease53,443Lombardy
 Bulgaria33,477Decrease32,283Increase35,818Increase39,161Increase42,000Increase47,872Increase54,932Increase56,576Increase58,001Increase58,620Increase59,254 Decrease56,593Increase56,645 Decrease50,355 Decrease49,205Lombardy
 Senegal38,400Decrease39,801Increase41,127Increase42,696Increase44,364Increase48,575Increase51,602Decrease50,414Decrease48,637Decrease48,138Increase49,940 Decrease49,797Decrease49,543 Increase50,778 Decrease48,280Emilia Romagna
 Brazil37,848Decrease33,004Increase34,505Increase35,911Increase37,567Increase39,157Increase43,20242,587Increase43,783Increase45,410Increase48,022 Increase49,445Increase51,790 Increase50,666 Decrease47,318Lombardy
 Russia21,523Decrease21,720Increase23,808Increase27,644Increase28,604Increase30,948Increase34,483Increase35,211Increase35,791Increase36,361Increase37,384 Decrease36,512Increase37,424 Increase39,746 Decrease36,982Lombardy
 Ghana40,163Decrease35,991Decrease35,681Decrease35,272Decrease34,936Increase35,576Increase38,136Decrease36,749Decrease36,661Decrease36,660Increase36,806 Decrease35,442Decrease35,316 Decrease35,091 Decrease32,984Lombardy
 Dominican Republic18,591Increase19,765Increase21,263Increase22,247Increase23,020Increase25,405Increase28,623Increase28,804Decrease28,202Decrease28,002Increase28,451 Increase28,208Increase29,111 Increase30,255 Decrease28,812Lombardy
 France30,803Decrease25,893Decrease25,217Decrease24,445Decrease23,985Increase25,016Increase29,078Decrease27,696Increase28,634Increase29,281Increase29,991 Decrease29,008Increase29,721 Increase31,354 Decrease28,735Lombardy
 Ivory Coast17,132Increase17,840Increase19,196Increase20,159Increase20,878Increase23,563Increase25,953Decrease25,362Decrease25,056Increase26,159Increase30,271 Increase31,001Decrease30,038 Decrease29,673 Decrease28,385Lombardy
 United Kingdom26,448Decrease22,542Increase22,563Decrease22,411Increase22,839Increase23,744Increase26,377Decrease25,864Increase26,634Increase27,208Increase28,168 Decrease27,857Increase29,654 Increase30,325 Decrease28,355Lombardy
 Spain17,354Decrease14,339Increase14,443Increase14,518Increase15,129Increase17,021Increase20,682Increase21,286Increase22,593Increase23,828Increase24,870 Increase24,936Increase25,954 Increase32,637 Decrease26,417Lombardy
 Georgia 1,012 Increase1,330 Increase2,403 Increase5,612 Increase7,083 Increase9,123 Increase12,124 Increase13,688 Increase14,045 Increase14,603 Increase15,203 Decrease15,021 Increase15,667 Increase18,272 Increase22,907 Tuscany
 Gambia 748 Decrease740 Increase807 Increase878 Increase941 Increase1,244 Increase1,630 Increase3,271 Increase8,016 Increase13,780 Increase19,567 Increase22,075 Decrease21,336 Increase22,213 Decrease21,826 Sicily
 Cuba14,581Decrease14,290Increase14,956Increase15,637Increase16,350Increase17,538Increase19,316Increase19,999Increase20,662Increase20,986Increase21,418 Decrease21,417Increase22,311 Increase22,958 Decrease21,499Lombardy
 Bosnia and Herzegovina27,356Decrease26,094Increase26,850Increase27,408Increase28,015Increase28,996Increase29,831Decrease29,442Decrease27,199Decrease25,791Decrease25,034 Decrease22,944Decrease21,911 Decrease21,442 Decrease21,234Veneto
 El Salvador 6,144 Increase7,088 Increase7,599 Increase8,430 Increase9,235 Increase10,443 Increase11,809 Increase12,973 Increase13,007 Increase13,492 Increase14,626 Increase15,437 Increase16,270 Increase20,038 Increase20,608 Lombardy
 Greece 14,562 Increase14,579 Increase14,591 Decrease14,526 Increase14,552 Increase15,946 Increase16,470 Increase17,098 Increase17,369 Increase18,768 Increase18,834 Increase19,078 Decrease17,350 Increase20,015 Decrease20,008 Campania
 Colombia 17,890 Decrease15,713 Increase16,261 Increase16,764 Increase17,086 Increase17,880 Increase19,661 Decrease18,956 Decrease18,777 Decrease17,968 Decrease17,956 Decrease17,539 Increase18,053 Increase19,848 Decrease19,025 Lombardy
 Mali 862 Decrease825 Increase831 Increase858 Increase909 Increase1,002 Increase1,923 Decrease1,945 Decrease1,938 Increase2,217 Increase3,509 Increase18,780 Increase19,168 Increase20,999 Decrease18,930 Lombardy
 Algeria22,672Decrease19,834Increase20,433Increase20,577Increase20,725Increase21,801Increase23,095Decrease22,679Decrease21,765Decrease20,437Decrease19,823 Decrease18,507Decrease18,468 Increase18,538 Decrease17,998Campania
 Bangladesh 21,308 Decrease17,662 Decrease17,332 Decrease16,967 Decrease16,708 Increase17,051 Increase17,999 Decrease17,375 Increase18,052 Decrease17,698 Decrease17,573 Decrease16,591 Decrease16,285 Increase17,362 Decrease15,754 Lombardy
 Cameroon 6,940 Decrease6,620 Increase7,438 Increase8,197 Increase8,830 Increase10,071 Increase11,880 Increase12,298 Increase12,738 Increase13,308 Increase14,529 Increase15,170 Increase15,329 Increase15,581 Decrease15,013 Emilia Romagna
 United States of America 15,036 Decrease13,634 Decrease13,112 Decrease12,521 Decrease12,184 Increase13,165 Increase14,963 Increase14,145 Increase14,512 Increase14,649 Increase15,004 Decrease14,966 Increase15,393 Increase18,837 Decrease14,496 Lazio
 Burkina Faso 8,960 Increase10,031 Increase11,119 Increase12,124 Increase12,752 Increase14,007 Increase15,301 Decrease14,939 Decrease14,657 Decrease14,306 Increase14,435 Decrease14,051 Decrease13,979 Increase14,236 Decrease14,167 Lombardy
 Iran 6,913 Decrease5,922 Decrease5,877 Decrease5,830 Increase5,962 Increase7,273 Increase8,995 Increase9,813 Increase10,304 Increase10,794 Increase11,565 Increase11,837 Increase12,866 Increase14,255 Decrease14,009 Lombardy
 Afghanistan 1,063 Increase2,427 Increase2,863 Increase3,135 Increase3,512 Increase4,813 Increase6,635 Increase7,654 Increase8,574 Increase11,224 Increase11,738 Decrease10,600 Increase11,121 Increase12,199 Increase13,547 Lazio
 Bolivia 6,043 Increase6,123 Increase7,853 Increase10,694 Increase11,774 Increase12,357 Increase13,919 Increase14,568 Decrease14,243 Decrease14,076 Decrease13,955 Decrease13,277 Decrease13,141 Increase13,271 Decrease12,924 Lombardy
 Venezuela 5,219 Decrease5,119 Decrease5,017 Decrease4,904 Decrease4,787 Increase5,138 Increase5,506 Increase5,642 Increase5,849 Increase6,327 Increase7,347 Increase8,981 Increase10,316 Increase12,135 Decrease12,033 Lombardy
 Guinea 2,268 Increase2,467 Increase2,713 Increase2,994 Increase3,297 Increase3,896 Increase4,371 Increase4,490 Increase4,928 Increase6,897 Increase11,240 Increase12,728 Decrease12,213 Increase12,259 Decrease11,796 Lombardy
 Argentina 12,492 Decrease11,842 Decrease11,338 Decrease11,239 Decrease7,896 Increase8,025 Increase8,642 Decrease8,179 Increase8,270 Decrease8,009 Increase8,023 Increase8,169 Increase9,117 Decrease9,091 Increase10,522 Lombardy
 Belarus 4,265 Increase5,062 Increase5,952 Increase6,975 Decrease6,654 Increase7,446 Increase8,177 Increase8,195 Increase8,529 Increase8,636 Increase8,885 Decrease8,704 Increase8,808 Increase9,269 Decrease8,811 Lombardy
 Somalia 6,237 Increase6,663 Increase7,728 Increase8,112 Decrease4,586 Increase5,235 Increase6,878 Increase7,677 Increase7,903 Increase8,228 Increase9,102 Decrease8,626 Decrease8,515 Decrease7,629 Increase8,370 Lazio
 Netherlands 8,165 Decrease7,166 Decrease7,157 Decrease7,111 Increase7,163 Increase7,378 Increase7,856 Decrease7,851 Increase8,106 Increase8,243 Increase8,344 Decrease8,184 Increase8,283 Increase10,100 Decrease8,367 Lombardy
 Eritrea 11,386 Increase11,911 Increase12,967 Increase13,368 Decrease8,074 Increase8,752 Increase11,187 Decrease10,570 Decrease9,597 Decrease9,394 Decrease9,343 Decrease8,141 Decrease8,035 Decrease6,912 Decrease6,575 Lazio
 Turkey 21,000 Increase11,911 Increase12,967 Increase13,368 Decrease8,074 Increase8,752 Increase11,187 Decrease10,570 Decrease9,597 Decrease9,394 Decrease9,343 Decrease8,141 Decrease8,035 Decrease6,912 Decrease6,575 Trentino-Alto Adige
Rest of Europe63,62262,334 66,817
Rest of Sub-Saharan Africa52,59154,501 59,385
Rest of Americas18,40620,796
Rest of North Africa and Western/Central Asia44,52647,513
Rest of East and South-East Asia22,89519,877
Rest of South Asia1,5161,630
Europe2,601,3132,588,451 (4.28%)2,600,748 (4.31%) 2,609,690 (4,33%)
North Africa and Western/Central Asia741,090729,064 (1.21%)735,681 (1.22%)
South Asia474,736488,486 (0.81%)507,553 (0.84%)
East and South-East Asia459,572471,326 (0.78%)478,417 (0.79%)
Sub-Saharan Africa369,567397,309 (0.66%)444,058 (0.74%)
Americas376,556369,555 (0.61%)373,354 (0.62%)
Oceania2,1042,122 (<0,01%)2,157 (0,01%)

Prison population

According to the Ministry of Justice, the Italian prison population in 2019 counted 60,769 and of those 32.7% were foreigners. The largest groups came from Morocco (3,651), Albania (2,402), Romania (2,386), Tunisia (2,020), Nigeria (1,665).

Amongst national origins counting more than 5,000 individuals at national level, Algeria, followed by Gambia and Tunisia, had the biggest proportion of detainees (with, respectively, 25.8, 23.7 and 20.7 inmates per 1,000 residents). On the other hand, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines had the lowest proportion of inmates per 1,000 residents (respectively, 0.13, and 0.50 for both Thailand and the Philippines).[33][34]

Public opinion
See also: Opposition to immigration in Europe

In 2018, a poll by Pew Research found that a majority (71%) wanted fewer immigrants to be allowed into the country, 18% wanted to keep the current level and 5% wanted to increase immigration.[35]

A 2019 poll by Yougov showed that 53% thought authorities should not accept more refugees from conflict areas, 25% were in favour of more refugees and 19% were undecided.[36]

According to poll published by Corriere della Sera in 2019, one of two respondents (51%) approved closing Italy's ports to further boat migrants arriving via the Mediterranean, while 19% welcomed further boat migrants.[37]

In 2021, 77% of Italians thought the current immigrant influx was too high, as underlined by a poll published by La Repubblica and carried out by YouGov.[38]

2000s Mediterranean Sea crossings crisis
Asylum seekers arrive in Sicily, 2015. The Arab Spring and the Syrian War created factors that led to a migrant crisis that saw hundred of thousands of boat-dwellers seeking refuge in Italy and other Mediterranean countries.

Due to the peninsula geographical position and close proximity to the North Africa coast, the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea has historically been the most used route for undocumented migrants. This route has become gradually more prominent, as flow through other routes to the EU gradually faded and political turmoil in Libya caused a general weakening of borders and coastal control, opening opportunities to people smuggling organisations.

The principal destination for sea crossings boats and rafts are the southernmost Italian territories, the Pelagie Islands. These islands are 113 km from Tunisia, 167 from Libya and 207 from Sicily.

The close distance between these islands and the African mainland has caused people smuggling organisations to employ boats and rafts otherwise hardly seaworthy, generally vastly filled above their capacity. Official reports list boats filled up to 2 or 3 times nominal capacity, including the use of rubber dinghies. This has led to several accidents at sea, as in 2007, the 2009, the 2011, the 2013, 2015.[39] These accidents have become harder to document between 2014 and 2017, as people smuggling organisations changed their tactics: instead of aiming for a full crossing of the sea towards Lampedusa, their boats aimed just to exit Libyan territorial waters and then trigger rescue operation from passing mercantile vessels, seek and rescue organisations, Italian and Maltese coastguards and militaries. As per the United Nations Convention of the Sea, of which Italy is a subscriber, people rescued at sea have to be transported to the closest safe harbor: as Libya continues to be in political turmoil this means they are transported to Italy.

Once in Italy, the EU Dublin Regulation requires migrants to apply for legal residence, protection or asylum permits in the first EU country they cross into, effectively barring them from legally crossing internal EU borders until their case has been processed and positively concluded. As the vast majority of migrant people landing in Italy targets destinations in Central and Northern European States, there is a tendency to avoid filing permits applications in Italy and rather try a northwards land journey.[40]

Refugees and migrants arriving in Italy by sea, 1997–2021[41]

As a reaction to the gradual increase in migration flows through the Mediterranean Sea, Italian governments stepped up cooperation with Tunisian and Libyan authorities to halt activities of people smuggling organisation on land, as well as to allow boats rescued from the Italian Military in international waters to be towed back to the port where they left from. This policy, enacted in 2004 and 2005, sparked controversies related in particular to the compatibility with Italian and EU laws, as numerous reports documented acts of violence from Libyan authorities on migrant people. The policy was openly criticised by the EU Parliament.[42]

In 2008, Berlusconi’s government in Italy and Gaddafi’s government in Libya signed a treaty including cooperation between the two countries in stopping unlawful migration from Libya to Italy; this led to a policy of forcibly returning to Libya boat migrants intercepted by the Italian coast guard at sea.[43] The cooperation collapsed following the outbreak of the Libyan civil war in 2011. In 2012 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy had violated the European Convention on Human Rights by returning migrants to Libya, as it exposed the migrants to the risk of being subjected to ill-treatment in Libya and violated the prohibition of collective expulsions.,[44] thus effectively ending the policy.

Rescued male migrants are brought to southern Italian ports, 28 June 2015

In 2009, as the flow of migrants picked up again, the overcrowded conditions at the Pelagie Islands' temporary immigrant reception centre came under criticism by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The unit, which was originally built for a maximum capacity of 850 people, was reported to be housing nearly 2,000 boat people. A significant number of people were sleeping outdoors under plastic sheeting.[45] A fire started as an inmate riot destroyed a large portion of the holding facility on 19 February 2009.

In 2011, as Arab Spring rebellions in Tunisia and Libya disrupted government control over borders and coasts, by May 2011, more than 35,000 immigrants had arrived on the island of Lampedusa from Tunisia and Libya.[46] By the end of August, 48,000 had arrived.[47] As migration and asylum policies are exclusive responsibilities of each member State, the increased migration pressure at the EU Southern border sparked tensions between EU States on how to differentiate between people migrating due to economic reasons, which in principle are regarded as unlawful immigrants and thus are forced to leave or deported, and people fleeing violence or persecution for religious, sexual orientation, political reasons, who can be granted asylum rights.[48] As the Libyan authoritarian governments struggled to keep control of the country, it allowed an increase in northbound migrant flows as a tactic to pressure Italy and the EU not to militarily intervene in the country, as Gaddafi feared his regime would be overthrown.[47]

Some Italian towns and cities disobeyed instructions from the national government to house migrants.[49] The Mafia Capitale investigation revealed that the Italian Mafia profited from the migrant crisis and exploited refugees.[50][51] The murder of Ashley Ann Olsen in her Italian apartment by an illegal immigrant from Senegal rapidly acquired political significance in the context of the European migrant crisis. The police chief of Florence addressed safety concerns and "assur[ed] the public that Florence remained safe" in the wake of the Olsen murder.[52]

Eritrean migrants in Messina, October 2015

Since 2014, thousands of migrants have tried every month to cross the Central Mediterranean to Italy, risking their lives on unsafe boats including fishing trawlers.[53] Many of them were fleeing poverty-stricken homelands or war-torn countries and sought economic opportunity within the EU.[54][55] Italy, and, in particular, its southern island of Lampedusa, received enormous numbers of Africans and Middle-Easterners transported by smugglers and NGOs operating along the ungoverned coast of the failed state of Libya.[54][56]

There were 153,842 Mediterranean sea arrivals to Italy in 2015, 9 percent less than the previous year; most of the refugees and migrants came from Eritrea, Nigeria, and Somalia, whereas the number of Syrian refugees sharply decreased, as most of them took the Eastern Mediterranean route from Turkey to Greece.[57]

The first three months of 2016 saw an increase in the number of migrants rescued at sea being brought to southern Italian ports.[58][59][60] In April 2016, nearly 6,000 mostly sub-Saharan African migrants landed in Italy in four days.[61] In June 2016, over 10,000 migrants were rescued in four days.[62] In 2016, 181,100 migrants arrived in Italy by sea.[63]

In April 2017, more than 8,000 migrants were rescued near Libya and brought to Italy in three days.[64] From January to November 2017, approximately 114,600 migrants arrived in Italy by sea.[65] Approximately 5,000 African migrants were rescued in waters off the coast of Libya between 18–20 May 2017.[66]

Since 2013, Italy took in over 700,000 migrants,[67] mainly from sub-Saharan Africa.[68]

Controversies regarding NGOs

After 2015, as an increased use of unseaworthy vessels by people smuggling organisations caused a marked increase in accidents at sea involving loss of lives, several European NGOs have started seek and rescue operations in close coordination with Italian Navy and coast guard units. These operations often happen close to Libyan territorial waters at the same time in order not to unlawfully enter Libyan jurisdictions and yet ensure migrants' safety. As per UNCLOS, rescued people are brought to the closer safe harbor, which is in most cases on Italian shore. This effectively means NGOs vessels are covering most of the distance between Libyan and Italian coast. Right-wing Italian newspapers and activists picked on that to make various claims, among which that NGOs active in migrants' assistance and rescue at sea would reap financial profits from their collaboration with the Italian authorities,[69] or that some NGOs are part of unlawful people smuggling operations in coordination with operatives on Libyan coast, and funded by international criminal groups and financial institutions interested in developing political turmoil in Italy.[70] The Italian Parliament investigated these claims and has found them to be unsubstantiated, with no further actions.[71] Regardless of this, right-wing newspapers have continued campaigning against Italian and foreign NGOs.

This map shows the journey of Aquarius Dignitus in June 2018, which was refused to dock in Malta and Italy before being granted access by the recently installed left-wing government in Spain.[72]

In August 2017 the ship "Iuventa" operated by the German NGO "Jugend Rettet" (youth to the rescue) was impounded on the island of Lampedusa on the order of an Italian prosecutor on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration. Jugend Rettet is one of the six out of nine NGOs which refused to sign a new code of conduct by the Italian government covering migrant rescues in the Mediterranean. The prosecutor alleged that there were "contacts, meetings and understandings" between the boat's crew and the smugglers. No crew members from the "Iuventa" had been charged and the prosecutor admitted that their motive was likely humanitarian.[73] (Five out of eight refused to sign the new code of conduct, according to a Guardian article, the others refusing to sign being MSF, the Germany groups Sea-Watch, Sea-Eye and Jugend Rettet, and France's SOS Mediterranée '[all of whom] abstained'. 'MSF, SOS Mediterranée and Jugend Rettet... called for clarification of the rules' while MOAS and Spanish group Proactiva Open Arms agreed to the conditions, and Save the Children 'backed the measures'.)[74]

The Conte I Cabinet, influenced by hard-line Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, refused to let migrant ships dock in its waters. On 10 June 2018, Salvini announced the closure of Italian ports, stating that "Everyone in Europe is doing their own business, now Italy is also raising its head. Let's stop the business of illegal immigration."[75] The vessel Aquarius, which is operated jointly by Médecins Sans Frontières and SOS Méditerranée and carried more than 600 migrants, was refused a port of disembarkation by the Italian authorities despite having been told to rescue the migrants by the same co-ordination centre. The Italian authority told the vessel to ask Malta to provide a disembarkation port, but Malta has also refused.[76] On the following day, the new Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accepted the disputed migrant ship.[77] On 12 June 2019, the Sea Watch 3 ship picked up 53 migrants in the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast. Sea Watch 3 rejected an offer to dock at Tripoli, which is considered unsafe by humanitarian organizations, and headed toward Lampedusa. According to a report by the Süddeutsche Zeitung and NGOs this was the nearest safe harbor per maritime law. On 14 June, Italy closed its ports to migrant rescue ships. Salvini refused to allow the ship to dock until other European nations had agreed to take the migrants. Ten of the migrants, including children, pregnant women, and those who were ill, were allowed to disembark. On 29 June, without authorization, ship's captain Carola Rackete decided to dock. The motivation for this was that according to her the passengers were exhausted. Rackete was arrested by the Italian authorities after docking. Matteo Salvini accused Rackete of trying to sink an Italian patrol boat that was attempting to intercept her, calling the incident an act of war and demanding the Netherlands government intervention. However, on 2 July, Rackete was released from house arrest after a court ruling that she had broken no laws and acted to protect passengers' safety.[78]

In August 2019, Salvini announced a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Conte, after growing tensions within the majority.[79] Salvini's alleged gambit failed, as Conte successfully negotiated the formation of a new cabinet with centre-left Democratic Party, which completely changed the immigration policy of the previous government,[80] returning to receive NGO ships in Italian ports.[81]

Italian naval mission to Libyan waters

On 2 August 2017 Italy's parliament authorized a limited naval mission to Libyan waters aimed at supporting the country's coastguard in the fight against illegal migration. Italy sent two patrol boats at the request of the UN-backed government in Tripoli and insisted it had no intention of violating Libyan sovereignty. However, General Khalifa Haftar, who controls most of eastern Libya, threatened to use his own forces to repel the Italians.[73][82]

See also

Notes
  1. The figures for 2002–2011 have been revised downwards as a result of the 15th General Census of Italy which offered more precise data. The figures since 2012 are calculated adding to the foreign population enumerated by the census the foreign population inflows and outflows recorded in all Italian municipalities during each calendar year.
  2. Since 2013, the European Union foreign nationals are no longer counted in the immigration statistics. This includes the Romanians, the largest minority group in Italy.

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Further reading
  • Cusumano, Eugenio, and Kristof Gombeer. "In deep waters: The legal, humanitarian and political implications of closing Italian ports to migrant rescuers." Mediterranean Politics 25.2 (2020): 245-253. online
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