Italy’s ruling coalition is preparing yet another ‘decreto sicurezza’, this time with a pronounced focus on immigration rules. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters on 11 November that the League (Lega) has drafted measures to accelerate the eviction of squatted properties, curb juvenile gang crime and, crucially, tighten family-reunification pathways for foreign residents. According to a leaked outline, reunification would be limited to spouses and minor children, excluding adult offspring and extended relatives that are currently eligible under certain conditions.
Interior-ministry officials confirmed that consultations with coalition partners are under way and that a final text could reach the Council of Ministers “within weeks”. If approved, the bill would mark the third major immigration overhaul in just two years, following Law 187/2024 (December 2024) and Decree-Law 48/2025 (April 2025), both of which already lengthened residence requirements and expanded detention powers.
![Lega pushes new ‘security decree’ that would narrow family-reunification rights]()
Employers’ associations warn that further restrictions risk complicating talent acquisition. “Senior managers hesitate to accept assignments in Italy if they cannot bring adult dependants or elderly parents,” noted Confindustria’s mobility task-force. International schools in Milan and Rome likewise fear enrolment drops if families are split across borders.
Advocacy groups are gearing up for legal challenges. The Italian Refugee Council argues that the proposal may breach EU Directive 2003/86/EC on family reunification, which obliges member-states to facilitate entry for dependent relatives on humanitarian grounds. Any clash with EU law could trigger infringement proceedings similar to those faced by Italy in 2018 after Salvini’s previous security decrees.
For global-mobility planners the message is clear: visa-strategy assumptions valid this year may not hold in 2026. Companies should reassess relocation budgets to include possible appeals or alternative residence permits for family members and monitor the decree’s passage closely. A public draft is expected after the next cabinet meeting, tentatively scheduled for late November.
Interior-ministry officials confirmed that consultations with coalition partners are under way and that a final text could reach the Council of Ministers “within weeks”. If approved, the bill would mark the third major immigration overhaul in just two years, following Law 187/2024 (December 2024) and Decree-Law 48/2025 (April 2025), both of which already lengthened residence requirements and expanded detention powers.
Employers’ associations warn that further restrictions risk complicating talent acquisition. “Senior managers hesitate to accept assignments in Italy if they cannot bring adult dependants or elderly parents,” noted Confindustria’s mobility task-force. International schools in Milan and Rome likewise fear enrolment drops if families are split across borders.
Advocacy groups are gearing up for legal challenges. The Italian Refugee Council argues that the proposal may breach EU Directive 2003/86/EC on family reunification, which obliges member-states to facilitate entry for dependent relatives on humanitarian grounds. Any clash with EU law could trigger infringement proceedings similar to those faced by Italy in 2018 after Salvini’s previous security decrees.
For global-mobility planners the message is clear: visa-strategy assumptions valid this year may not hold in 2026. Companies should reassess relocation budgets to include possible appeals or alternative residence permits for family members and monitor the decree’s passage closely. A public draft is expected after the next cabinet meeting, tentatively scheduled for late November.
