Italy’s Ministry of the Interior released its latest sea-arrival bulletin on 3 December, and mobility specialists woke up on 4 December to almost identical year-to-date numbers compared with 2024. A total of 63,712 people have reached Italian shores since 1 January, only 175 more than last year but well below the 152,804 recorded in 2023.
Nationality mix – Bangladeshi citizens continue to dominate arrivals (31 %), followed by Egyptians (14 %), Eritreans (12 %) and Pakistanis (7 %). The data confirm a shift away from Tunisian departures seen in 2023 when bilateral enforcement rose, and a rise in Egyptian routes via Libya. More than 400 people arrived in just the first two days of December despite deteriorating winter seas.
![Interior Ministry Bulletin: 63,712 Migrants Have Landed in Italy in 2025, Matching Previous Year’s Pace]()
Policy context – The figures land as Parliament finalises the 2026 immigration quotas and as the government negotiates operational ‘fast-track’ return agreements with Egypt and Bangladesh. Officials insist the plateau proves that the 2024-2025 ‘Mattei Plan’—a mix of aid, training visas and tougher vessel seizure rules—is stabilising flows. NGOs counter that lower numbers reflect rougher seas and Libyan interceptions rather than policy success.
Business impact – Although political debate focuses on asylum, the bulletin is a critical planning tool for global mobility and security teams. Stable or declining arrivals ease pressure on reception centres near industrial hubs such as Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, reducing the risk of sudden local labour-market restrictions. Companies relocating staff to Italy should nevertheless monitor provincial prefectures, which may still re-allocate accommodation centres and affect housing availability.
Nationality mix – Bangladeshi citizens continue to dominate arrivals (31 %), followed by Egyptians (14 %), Eritreans (12 %) and Pakistanis (7 %). The data confirm a shift away from Tunisian departures seen in 2023 when bilateral enforcement rose, and a rise in Egyptian routes via Libya. More than 400 people arrived in just the first two days of December despite deteriorating winter seas.
Policy context – The figures land as Parliament finalises the 2026 immigration quotas and as the government negotiates operational ‘fast-track’ return agreements with Egypt and Bangladesh. Officials insist the plateau proves that the 2024-2025 ‘Mattei Plan’—a mix of aid, training visas and tougher vessel seizure rules—is stabilising flows. NGOs counter that lower numbers reflect rougher seas and Libyan interceptions rather than policy success.
Business impact – Although political debate focuses on asylum, the bulletin is a critical planning tool for global mobility and security teams. Stable or declining arrivals ease pressure on reception centres near industrial hubs such as Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, reducing the risk of sudden local labour-market restrictions. Companies relocating staff to Italy should nevertheless monitor provincial prefectures, which may still re-allocate accommodation centres and affect housing availability.
