Speaking at a party event in Rome on 17 May, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini announced that the League is drafting a bill to revoke the permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) of any non-EU national convicted of “serious crimes”, with immediate expulsion from Italian territory. Salvini described the residence permit as “an act of generosity and trust from the Italian people: if that trust is betrayed, the document must be withdrawn.” The proposal would introduce a points-based mechanism similar to Italy’s driving-licence system. Every non-EU permit holder would start with a set number of points; court convictions would trigger automatic deductions. Falling below a to-be-defined threshold would invalidate the permit and prompt removal proceedings. League sources say the bill also contemplates parallel rules for revoking recently acquired citizenship in terrorism cases, reopening a debate that has surfaced periodically since 2018. Interior-ministry officials stress that any automatic revocation scheme must remain compatible with EU Directive 2003/109/EC on long-term residents and with constitutional protections against statelessness. Coalition partners have offered mixed reactions: Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia) cautioned that the recent Modena car-attack suspect cited by Salvini is actually an Italian citizen, not a foreigner, while centrist leader Carlo Calenda called the plan “pure posturing” unless judicial safeguards are spelled out. For employers, the announcement injects fresh uncertainty into workforce-planning; Italy hosts over 2.3 million non-EU workers, many in sectors already wrestling with labour shortages. Immigration counsel predict an uptick in due-diligence checks on disciplinary records and a potential chilling effect on intra-company transfers if international assignees perceive legal residence as precarious.
![Salvini proposes ‘points-based’ residence-permit system: foreign offenders would face automatic revocation and expulsion]()
At this juncture, both employers and individual expatriates may find it useful to engage third-party visa specialists who track Italian policy in real time. VisaHQ, for instance, offers an online platform that consolidates the latest requirements for entry visas, residence permits and related documentation, and can coordinate application logistics on behalf of HR departments or travelers. Its Italy-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) also flags upcoming legal changes—like the proposed points system—allowing users to anticipate documentation gaps before they become critical.
Companies should brief HR staff on the legislative timeline (draft expected in the Senate by July) and monitor possible transitional provisions for existing workers. Although the bill may evolve during parliamentary debate, its political traction is significant: public polls show security and migration consistently among the top three voter concerns. Multinationals should therefore scenario-plan for stricter compliance duties—such as mandatory criminal-record attestations during hiring—or for a future in which certain convicted employees lose the right to remain, triggering severance, housing and schooling ramifications for their families.
At this juncture, both employers and individual expatriates may find it useful to engage third-party visa specialists who track Italian policy in real time. VisaHQ, for instance, offers an online platform that consolidates the latest requirements for entry visas, residence permits and related documentation, and can coordinate application logistics on behalf of HR departments or travelers. Its Italy-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) also flags upcoming legal changes—like the proposed points system—allowing users to anticipate documentation gaps before they become critical.
Companies should brief HR staff on the legislative timeline (draft expected in the Senate by July) and monitor possible transitional provisions for existing workers. Although the bill may evolve during parliamentary debate, its political traction is significant: public polls show security and migration consistently among the top three voter concerns. Multinationals should therefore scenario-plan for stricter compliance duties—such as mandatory criminal-record attestations during hiring—or for a future in which certain convicted employees lose the right to remain, triggering severance, housing and schooling ramifications for their families.
