Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on 21 April 2026 acknowledged mounting criticism of a clause in her government’s new Security Decree that would pay lawyers a €615 success-fee for each migrant client they persuade to accept voluntary repatriation. Speaking to reporters in Milan, Meloni said she is “ready to introduce corrective measures” in a follow-up bill, while insisting that the underlying principle—encouraging voluntary rather than forced returns—remains sound. The bonus, worth €1.2 million over 2026-28, was inserted late in the legislative process to speed up removal proceedings and free up places in Italy’s reception system. Legal and judicial councils, however, warn that the provision creates an inherent conflict of interest and could pressure vulnerable migrants into relinquishing legitimate protection claims. The Union of Italian Criminal Chambers called the scheme “unconstitutional and ethically untenable.” Corporate mobility managers are watching closely.
![Meloni opens door to tweaks in controversial migrant repatriation-bonus scheme]()
In this fluid regulatory environment, VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can help employers, lawyers, and individual travelers track the newest policy shifts, assemble compliant documentation, and liaise with Italian consulates to keep relocation timelines on course even as rules evolve.
Italy relies heavily on intra-EU postings and intra-company transfers; any measure perceived as undermining due-process rights could draw extra EU scrutiny and lengthen litigation timelines, delaying work-permit issuance for some assignees. Global firms with Italian operations are therefore reviewing their compliance frameworks and instructing destination-service providers to document asylum-related steps even more rigorously. Practically, nothing changes this week: the decree must clear the lower house by 25 April to remain in force. Meloni’s admission that amendments will come only “in a separate bill” means the contested incentive is likely to enter into effect unchanged and then be revisited later in the year. Stakeholders should prepare for at least two regulatory touchpoints—first implementation of the incentive and, later, a probable partial rollback or redesign. Mobility programs should continue to brief expatriates on their appeal rights and monitor embassy and prefecture guidance for knock-on effects in residence-permit processing.
In this fluid regulatory environment, VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can help employers, lawyers, and individual travelers track the newest policy shifts, assemble compliant documentation, and liaise with Italian consulates to keep relocation timelines on course even as rules evolve.
Italy relies heavily on intra-EU postings and intra-company transfers; any measure perceived as undermining due-process rights could draw extra EU scrutiny and lengthen litigation timelines, delaying work-permit issuance for some assignees. Global firms with Italian operations are therefore reviewing their compliance frameworks and instructing destination-service providers to document asylum-related steps even more rigorously. Practically, nothing changes this week: the decree must clear the lower house by 25 April to remain in force. Meloni’s admission that amendments will come only “in a separate bill” means the contested incentive is likely to enter into effect unchanged and then be revisited later in the year. Stakeholders should prepare for at least two regulatory touchpoints—first implementation of the incentive and, later, a probable partial rollback or redesign. Mobility programs should continue to brief expatriates on their appeal rights and monitor embassy and prefecture guidance for knock-on effects in residence-permit processing.
