Speaking in Brussels on the evening of 3 December, Italian MEP Nicola Procaccini (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR) welcomed the LIBE Committee’s adoption of amendments to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The text, approved with centre-right support and Renew’s abstention, creates an EU-level list of ‘safe third countries’ and clarifies that irregular migrants can be transferred not only to their home or transit state but also to any country with which the EU has an agreement.
Context – Italy has long pushed for firmer, bloc-wide return rules to ease the administrative burden on frontline states. The committee vote advances negotiations with the Council and sets the stage for plenary approval in January. Once enacted, the regulation will oblige member states to prioritise returns within a tight deadline and to share biometric data under the updated Eurodac system.
![Italian MEP Hails EU Committee Vote Easing Returns to ‘Safe Third Countries’]()
Impact for Italy – Rome expects faster processing of return cases, potentially alleviating detention-centre overcrowding in Sicily and Apulia. The government is already in talks with Albania, Tunisia and Egypt to formalise reception-and-return corridors that align with the new EU framework.
Corporate and mobility angle – While aimed at irregular migration, stricter return rules may have knock-on effects: consulates of ‘safe countries’ could face heavier visa-demand scrutiny, and employers may see longer security checks for hires from jurisdictions newly added to the list. Mobility teams should prepare for possible background-verification delays starting mid-2026.
Context – Italy has long pushed for firmer, bloc-wide return rules to ease the administrative burden on frontline states. The committee vote advances negotiations with the Council and sets the stage for plenary approval in January. Once enacted, the regulation will oblige member states to prioritise returns within a tight deadline and to share biometric data under the updated Eurodac system.
Impact for Italy – Rome expects faster processing of return cases, potentially alleviating detention-centre overcrowding in Sicily and Apulia. The government is already in talks with Albania, Tunisia and Egypt to formalise reception-and-return corridors that align with the new EU framework.
Corporate and mobility angle – While aimed at irregular migration, stricter return rules may have knock-on effects: consulates of ‘safe countries’ could face heavier visa-demand scrutiny, and employers may see longer security checks for hires from jurisdictions newly added to the list. Mobility teams should prepare for possible background-verification delays starting mid-2026.
