Trade-union federation CGIL Napoli e Campania has demanded an urgent amnesty for thousands of migrant workers allegedly duped by an illicit network exploiting Italy’s annual visa-quota programme, the Decreto Flussi. The call follows the 9 March 2026 arrest of a Labour Inspectorate employee accused of orchestrating fake job offers that allowed foreigners to obtain entry clearances only to find no work on arrival. (cronachedellacampania.it)
Investigators say the scheme hinged on the programme’s ‘click-day’ electronic race for work permits: intermediaries charged migrants up to €6,000 to file online applications in milliseconds, then pocketed fees while fabricating employment contracts. Without a real job, new arrivals lost legal status once residence permits came up for renewal, swelling the region’s irregular-migration numbers. (cronachedellacampania.it)
![CGIL Exposes Visa-Quota ‘Decreto Flussi’ Scam in Naples, Seeks Emergency Regularisation]()
To avoid falling into similar traps, applicants and employers can turn to trusted facilitators. VisaHQ, for example, provides clear step-by-step guidance on Italian visa categories, secure document handling and real-time tracking of submissions, helping users steer clear of fraudulent brokers. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/italy/
The union argues the scandal exposes structural flaws in how Italy allocates its 164,000 annual non-EU work visas and urges the government to open a special regularisation channel for victims. CGIL also wants a review of the digital-application platform to prevent automated bots and broker monopolies.
For global mobility teams, the episode underscores the importance of auditing recruitment chains and ensuring that local partners use secure digital identities when accessing the quota portal. Companies found to have sponsored ‘ghost’ jobs risk administrative sanctions and reputational damage under Italy’s anti-caporalato legislation.
Investigators say the scheme hinged on the programme’s ‘click-day’ electronic race for work permits: intermediaries charged migrants up to €6,000 to file online applications in milliseconds, then pocketed fees while fabricating employment contracts. Without a real job, new arrivals lost legal status once residence permits came up for renewal, swelling the region’s irregular-migration numbers. (cronachedellacampania.it)
To avoid falling into similar traps, applicants and employers can turn to trusted facilitators. VisaHQ, for example, provides clear step-by-step guidance on Italian visa categories, secure document handling and real-time tracking of submissions, helping users steer clear of fraudulent brokers. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/italy/
The union argues the scandal exposes structural flaws in how Italy allocates its 164,000 annual non-EU work visas and urges the government to open a special regularisation channel for victims. CGIL also wants a review of the digital-application platform to prevent automated bots and broker monopolies.
For global mobility teams, the episode underscores the importance of auditing recruitment chains and ensuring that local partners use secure digital identities when accessing the quota portal. Companies found to have sponsored ‘ghost’ jobs risk administrative sanctions and reputational damage under Italy’s anti-caporalato legislation.
