Overview
- The bill would allow authorities to bar ships from Italian waters during extraordinary pressure or defined security risks, with blockades lasting 30 days and extendable up to six months.
- Violations would carry fines of €10,000–€50,000 that also apply to NGO rescue vessels and shipowners, with repeat offenses risking seizure of the ship.
- People on ships denied entry could be transferred to countries that have detention or return agreements with Italy, potentially reviving largely unused facilities in Albania.
- The government presents the plan as a way to curb irregular crossings and accelerate returns, while opposition figures and rescue NGOs condemn it as unconstitutional or inhumane.
- The initiative advances as the EU asylum and migration pact nears mid‑2026 rollout, and as migrant arrivals to Italy in early 2026 track below the same period last year.