The European Commission on 30 January 2026 presented a new strategic document that shifts focus from border reception to accelerated returns of irregular migrants and greater use of visa policy as diplomatic leverage. Interior-affairs commissioner Magnus Brunner highlighted a 26 % drop in irregular entries last year but singled out the Central Mediterranean – overwhelmingly the Libya-Tunisia-Italy route – as the bloc’s most active corridor. (ansa.it)
Under the plan the EU will: 1) create “multifunctional return hubs” along key routes to speed identification and repatriation; 2) mandate biometric-based identity verification using AI tools; 3) tie visa-facilitation or restriction directly to third-country cooperation on readmissions.
Why this matters for Italy. Rome still shoulders 55 % of Central Mediterranean arrivals; the policy promises extra Frontex assets but also pressures Italy to expand detention-capacity and step-up deportations. Italian employers depending on non-EU seasonal staff worry that tighter visa leverage could disrupt recruitment pipelines if source countries are penalised.
![EU unveils five-year migration plan prioritising returns and visa leverage – implications for Italy]()
Corporate-mobility angle. Multinationals relocating talent from Africa or Asia to Italian subsidiaries may see slower national-visa issuances if the EU triggers “visa-code” penalties. Firms should monitor country-specific visa-waiver negotiations and maintain alternative hiring pools.
For organisations and individual travellers that suddenly confront shifting documentation rules, VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides real-time visa checklists, online order processing and courier options, enabling users to lodge compliant applications quickly and minimise disruption as Brussels recalibrates its leverage tools.
The Commission proposes an annual scoreboard measuring each Member State’s return-rate; Italy currently stands at roughly 28 %, below the EU average. To avoid fines or reduced border-funding, the Interior Ministry is expected to tighten cooperation with consulates and step-up charter flights in 2026.
Under the plan the EU will: 1) create “multifunctional return hubs” along key routes to speed identification and repatriation; 2) mandate biometric-based identity verification using AI tools; 3) tie visa-facilitation or restriction directly to third-country cooperation on readmissions.
Why this matters for Italy. Rome still shoulders 55 % of Central Mediterranean arrivals; the policy promises extra Frontex assets but also pressures Italy to expand detention-capacity and step-up deportations. Italian employers depending on non-EU seasonal staff worry that tighter visa leverage could disrupt recruitment pipelines if source countries are penalised.
Corporate-mobility angle. Multinationals relocating talent from Africa or Asia to Italian subsidiaries may see slower national-visa issuances if the EU triggers “visa-code” penalties. Firms should monitor country-specific visa-waiver negotiations and maintain alternative hiring pools.
For organisations and individual travellers that suddenly confront shifting documentation rules, VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides real-time visa checklists, online order processing and courier options, enabling users to lodge compliant applications quickly and minimise disruption as Brussels recalibrates its leverage tools.
The Commission proposes an annual scoreboard measuring each Member State’s return-rate; Italy currently stands at roughly 28 %, below the EU average. To avoid fines or reduced border-funding, the Interior Ministry is expected to tighten cooperation with consulates and step-up charter flights in 2026.
