Meloni cabinet approves maritime bans and offshore processing to counter ‘exceptional pressure’ at borders.
Italy’s right-wing government has approved a sweeping new migration bill that introduces the power to impose “naval blockades” on vessels attempting to enter national waters.
The legislation, signed off by prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet on Wednesday, represents a significant tightening of Italy’s maritime sovereignty.
In a post on social media, Meloni described the bill as a “very significant measure to strengthen the fight against mass illegal immigration and human traffickers”.
The bill arrives just one day after the European Parliament backed a new list of “safe countries,” a move the Italian government hailed as a victory for its strategy of externalising asylum processing.
The “blockade” mechanism
The centrepiece of the new decree is the authority to implement a temporary prohibition on any vessel crossing into Italy’s territorial waters.
The ban can be imposed for an initial 30 days, with the possibility of extensions up to a total of six months.
Authorities can trigger these powers in cases of “serious threats to public order or national security” – specifically citing the risk of terrorist infiltration – or when “exceptional migratory pressure” threatens the secure management of borders.
Ships that violate the ban face fines of up to €50,000, and repeat offenders risk having their vessels confiscated – a move widely interpreted as being aimed at non-governmental organisation (NGO) rescue ships.
Offshore processing and third-country transfers
The legislation also provides a legal framework for the immediate transfer of intercepted migrants to “safe” third countries with which Italy has bilateral agreements.
This provision is designed to revive the Italy-Albania protocol, which has faced repeated judicial delays over the past two years.
Under the new rules, migrants rescued at sea could be transported directly to Italian-run centres in Albania or other partner nations for asylum processing, bypassing Italian mainland ports entirely.
Interior ministry statistics indicate that sea arrivals rose 17 per cent in 2025, reaching over 112,000, which the government cites as the primary justification for these “emergency” measures.
Political and legal fallout
The announcement has sparked a fierce backlash from opposition parties and humanitarian groups.
Legal experts have also warned that the “naval blockade” could face challenges at the European Court of Human Rights, particularly regarding the principle of non-refoulement – the prohibition of returning refugees to places where their lives are at risk.
The bill must still be debated and passed by both houses of parliament, however the government’s majority makes its approval highly likely.
Photo credit: Imaxe Press / Shutterstock.com.
