Since the beginning of 2024, Italy has seen a heavy drop of 65 per cent in immigrant arrivals compared to the same period in 2022.
In a recent session in the Chamber of Deputies, the Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, also revealed that this figure marks the fifth consecutive month of significant decrease when compared year-on-year. SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
According to InfoMigrants, Piantedosi underlined the government’s firm stance against migrant trafficking, especially after the devastating sinking of the Cutro ship, which resulted in the loss of 94 lives last year.
Since taking office, our government’s primary objective has been to fight the shameful trafficking of migrants, starting from the adoption of a series of legislative measures, which are all inspired by the need to establish a firmer respect for migration rules. Only by blocking the departures that are operated by human traffickers we can avoid the tragedy of shipwrecks.
He further emphasised continued international cooperation to strengthen cooperation with countries of origin and transit, especially Libya and Tunisia, to increase their capabilities to combat irregular migration both on land and across the seas.
Italy Saw a 50% Increase in Arrivals in 2023
Despite implementing various measures and decrees by the Italian government to discourage immigration, it experienced a 50 per cent increase in immigrant landings in 2023 compared to 2022.
The total number reached 156,000 individuals, with 17,000 of them unaccompanied minors.
Data provided by the Italian Ministry of the Interior on 29 December 2023 shows that 155,754 people landed in Italy, a significant increase from the 103,846 reported in 2022.
As a result, August emerged as the month with the highest number of landings, recording 25,673 arrivals. In addition, over 1,000 individuals arrive on Italian shores in the first days of 2024 through irregular migration channels.
Figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) also show that in 2022, there was a 71 per cent increase in the number of first applicants for asylum in Italy, reaching around 77,000 individuals. Among these applicants, the majority came from countries as follows:
- Bangladesh (15,000)
- Pakistan (11,000)
- Egypt (8,800)
Based on these data, Bangladeshi nationals saw the largest increase since 2021, with an additional 8,000 applicants, while Afghan nationals experienced the most significant decline, with a drop of 3,100 applicants. Of the 53,000 decisions made in 2022, 48 per cent resulted in positive results.
After a significant increase in 2022, Italy’s annual quota for third-country national workers saw another increase in 2023, indicating a continuing labour shortage. The 2023 quota, revealed in mid-2022 and officially published in January 2023, was set at 82,705 workers, up from 69,700 in 2022 and higher than the 31,000 figure held in the previous five years.
