ROME – On February 11, 2026, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet signed off on a hard-line migration bill that, if passed by parliament, would give Italian authorities unprecedented power to keep humanitarian rescue vessels and other ships carrying migrants from entering national territorial waters for up to 30 days (extendable to six). The measure—dubbed a “naval blockade” in government briefings—may also allow authorities to impound vessels and levy fines of up to €50,000 for repeated violations. (apnews.com)
The government argues that the deterrent is needed to regain control of Italy’s maritime borders after arrivals across the Central Mediterranean rose 17 percent in 2025 despite existing deterrence policies. Interior-ministry statistics show more than 112,000 sea arrivals last year, compared with 95,000 in 2024, straining reception facilities on Lampedusa and Sicily.
Under the draft law, migrants intercepted at sea could be transferred to third countries that Rome designates as “safe” under new bilateral deals—reviving the controversial plan to process asylum seekers in two hubs in Albania that have sat idle amid legal challenges. The cabinet simultaneously approved enabling legislation to transpose the EU’s new Migration & Asylum Pact, adopted in Strasbourg on February 10, which broadens the scope for relocating or returning asylum seekers to safe third countries. (apnews.com)
![Italy’s Cabinet Approves Tough New Migration Bill with ‘Naval Blockade’ Powers]()
At a practical level, travelers, corporate mobility teams, and humanitarian staff grappling with Italy’s shifting entry rules can streamline paperwork through VisaHQ, an online visa and passport platform whose dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) posts real-time consular updates, processing times, and compliance alerts. The service helps organizations and individuals secure the correct visa or work permit quickly, reducing the risk of costly delays when regulations tighten.
Business-mobility specialists say companies that depend on short-term postings of non-EU personnel should watch the parliamentary debate closely. If the bill passes unchanged, corporate mobility teams may face stricter security vetting for chartered vessels, tighter documentation checks in Italian ports, and faster-moving political discussions on offshore processing that could eventually influence EU-wide rules. Meanwhile, NGOs have vowed to mount legal appeals, claiming the blockade violates maritime-rescue conventions.
For employers moving talent into Italy, the bigger picture is mixed: while regular labour-migration quotas for 2026 have been set at a record 164,850, the new bill signals that irregular entry routes will face even sharper push-back—adding complexity for global mobility managers who must ensure full compliance with visa and work-permit rules in an environment of heightened enforcement.
The government argues that the deterrent is needed to regain control of Italy’s maritime borders after arrivals across the Central Mediterranean rose 17 percent in 2025 despite existing deterrence policies. Interior-ministry statistics show more than 112,000 sea arrivals last year, compared with 95,000 in 2024, straining reception facilities on Lampedusa and Sicily.
Under the draft law, migrants intercepted at sea could be transferred to third countries that Rome designates as “safe” under new bilateral deals—reviving the controversial plan to process asylum seekers in two hubs in Albania that have sat idle amid legal challenges. The cabinet simultaneously approved enabling legislation to transpose the EU’s new Migration & Asylum Pact, adopted in Strasbourg on February 10, which broadens the scope for relocating or returning asylum seekers to safe third countries. (apnews.com)
At a practical level, travelers, corporate mobility teams, and humanitarian staff grappling with Italy’s shifting entry rules can streamline paperwork through VisaHQ, an online visa and passport platform whose dedicated Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) posts real-time consular updates, processing times, and compliance alerts. The service helps organizations and individuals secure the correct visa or work permit quickly, reducing the risk of costly delays when regulations tighten.
Business-mobility specialists say companies that depend on short-term postings of non-EU personnel should watch the parliamentary debate closely. If the bill passes unchanged, corporate mobility teams may face stricter security vetting for chartered vessels, tighter documentation checks in Italian ports, and faster-moving political discussions on offshore processing that could eventually influence EU-wide rules. Meanwhile, NGOs have vowed to mount legal appeals, claiming the blockade violates maritime-rescue conventions.
For employers moving talent into Italy, the bigger picture is mixed: while regular labour-migration quotas for 2026 have been set at a record 164,850, the new bill signals that irregular entry routes will face even sharper push-back—adding complexity for global mobility managers who must ensure full compliance with visa and work-permit rules in an environment of heightened enforcement.
