The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released its 23 February 2026 “Italy Weekly Snapshot”, giving the most granular look yet at the pressures facing Italy’s asylum system this year. According to the factsheet, 3,870 people reached Italian shores in the week ending 18 February, pushing the cumulative total for 2026 to 11,540—almost double the figure recorded during the same period in 2025. Arrivals were concentrated on the island hotspots of Lampedusa (42 percent) and Pantelleria (13 percent), but the central Calabrian and Apulian coasts also saw a rise in landings linked to smaller wooden vessels departing from Libya and Tunisia.
In a break-down likely to interest corporate security managers, the snapshot notes that 38 percent of new arrivals originated from Egypt, followed by Bangladesh (18 percent) and Syria (9 percent). UNHCR flags overcrowding at the Lampedusa first-reception centre, which operated at 235 percent of its designed capacity during parts of the week. Transfers to mainland hubs in Sicily and Puglia are continuing, but adverse winter seas have limited ferries, compounding backlogs.
For organizations or travelers who now face a more complex and time-sensitive visa environment, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork and advise on the latest entry rules, including humanitarian permits and business visas; its Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides step-by-step requirements and application support, helping clients stay compliant amid evolving regulations.
![UNHCR weekly snapshot shows surge in asylum requests and maritime arrivals to Italy]()
The briefing also highlights a 26 percent month-on-month jump in asylum applications filed at Italy’s six territorial commissions. Processing times now average 179 days, well above the EU-wide target of six months. UNHCR warns that staffing shortages, combined with a legal reform requiring accelerated screenings for applicants coming via “safe third countries”, risk further delays. Business travellers deploying foreign staff to Italy on intra-company assignments should factor in extended lead times when family reunification or humanitarian visas are required.
Finally, the snapshot reminds stakeholders that the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) will become mandatory on 10 April 2026. Italian border police have begun pilot enrolment at Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa; third-country nationals arriving by sea will be registered in mobile biometric units before transfer to reception centres. Employers planning rotational crew changes or project work in Italy’s ports should anticipate longer formalities until personnel complete the one-time enrolment.
The UNHCR data are an early indicator that Italy’s Mediterranean route will remain a focal point of European migration management in 2026. For mobility and global security teams, the numbers underscore the need to monitor reception-capacity strain—which can trigger ad-hoc ferry cancellations or road closures—and to build extra buffer time into visa, residency-permit and family-reunification planning.
In a break-down likely to interest corporate security managers, the snapshot notes that 38 percent of new arrivals originated from Egypt, followed by Bangladesh (18 percent) and Syria (9 percent). UNHCR flags overcrowding at the Lampedusa first-reception centre, which operated at 235 percent of its designed capacity during parts of the week. Transfers to mainland hubs in Sicily and Puglia are continuing, but adverse winter seas have limited ferries, compounding backlogs.
For organizations or travelers who now face a more complex and time-sensitive visa environment, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork and advise on the latest entry rules, including humanitarian permits and business visas; its Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) provides step-by-step requirements and application support, helping clients stay compliant amid evolving regulations.
The briefing also highlights a 26 percent month-on-month jump in asylum applications filed at Italy’s six territorial commissions. Processing times now average 179 days, well above the EU-wide target of six months. UNHCR warns that staffing shortages, combined with a legal reform requiring accelerated screenings for applicants coming via “safe third countries”, risk further delays. Business travellers deploying foreign staff to Italy on intra-company assignments should factor in extended lead times when family reunification or humanitarian visas are required.
Finally, the snapshot reminds stakeholders that the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) will become mandatory on 10 April 2026. Italian border police have begun pilot enrolment at Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa; third-country nationals arriving by sea will be registered in mobile biometric units before transfer to reception centres. Employers planning rotational crew changes or project work in Italy’s ports should anticipate longer formalities until personnel complete the one-time enrolment.
The UNHCR data are an early indicator that Italy’s Mediterranean route will remain a focal point of European migration management in 2026. For mobility and global security teams, the numbers underscore the need to monitor reception-capacity strain—which can trigger ad-hoc ferry cancellations or road closures—and to build extra buffer time into visa, residency-permit and family-reunification planning.
