Italy changes rules on payments for migrant return assistance

Italy has moved to amend rules governing financial incentives linked to migrant repatriation, after a government scheme faced criticism from opposition parties over potential constitutional concerns, Reuters reports.

The measure formed part of a broader security package that parliament was required to approve by April 25 or risk it lapsing. President Sergio Mattarella, who has the authority to refuse to sign legislation on constitutional grounds, had also expressed reservations, placing the government under pressure.

To resolve the situation, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni left the original security package unchanged to ensure its passage, and then introduced a separate decree with amendments shortly after parliament gave final approval to the initial text.

“We would have preferred to make corrections during the process, but that would have caused the decree to lapse and created some problems,” Meloni told reporters.

Under the original framework, lawyers assisting migrants with voluntary repatriation were to receive state funding only upon successful completion of the process. Around €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) had been allocated for such bonuses through 2028.

The revised decree stipulates that payments of approximately €615 will now be extended not only to lawyers but also to other professionals involved in assisting migrants, and that bonuses will be granted even if repatriation is not completed, according to an official statement.

Italy’s main lawyers’ association had warned that the original proposal risked turning legal professionals into instruments of the right-wing government’s migration policy.

The centre-left opposition criticised the process, arguing that parliament had been asked to vote on a decree containing an unconstitutional provision, while right-wing lawmakers welcomed its approval.

“This is a very serious matter for the quality of parliamentary work, for the dignity of parliament, but also for the quality of Italian democracy,” said Nicola Fratoianni of the Green-Left Alliance party.

By Vafa Guliyeva