Italy’s right-wing government has taken another hard line on migration, approving draft legislation that would allow naval blockades to stop migrant boats during
periods of what it calls “exceptional pressure” on the country’s borders.
The bill, approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, would give authorities the power to bar vessels from entering Italian territorial waters for up to six months in cases deemed a serious threat to public order or national security, according to a government source. The proposal must still be approved by both houses of parliament.
Since coming to power in late 2022, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made curbing irregular migration a central pillar of her agenda. Her government has fast-tracked deportations of rejected asylum seekers and imposed tougher prison sentences on human smugglers, aiming to deter dangerous sea crossings across the Mediterranean.
Under the draft law seen by Reuters, boats that violate an entry ban could face fines of up to 50,000 euros ($60,000). Repeat offenders risk having their vessels seized — a provision widely seen as targeting charity-run rescue ships operating in the Mediterranean.
Meloni’s coalition has long argued that humanitarian rescue missions, while intended to save lives, encourage migrants to attempt the crossing by offering the prospect of rescue.
The move comes as the European Union tightens its own asylum framework. Earlier this week, the European Parliament approved reforms allowing member states to reject asylum applications if migrants could have sought protection in a country the EU designates as “safe.” Lawmakers also backed a list of countries to which failed asylum seekers may be returned.
Italy has been among the countries pressing Brussels for tougher rules, saying frontline states bear a disproportionate burden of arrivals.
Opposition parties at home, however, have sharply criticised the naval blockade plan. Peppe De Cristofaro, a senator from the Green Left Alliance, warned that repression would not solve a complex, long-term issue.
“The idea that a vast, structural and epoch-defining phenomenon can be addressed by building walls, erecting barbed wire or imposing naval blockades is misguided,” he said.
Europe has received millions of refugees since 2015, an influx that has reshaped politics across the continent, strengthened anti-immigration movements and driven governments to adopt increasingly restrictive policies.
As Italy moves forward with its latest proposal, the debate over border control, humanitarian obligations and shared European responsibility looks set to intensify.