Italy has had a significant 65 percent decrease in immigration arrivals since the beginning of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2022. This information was revealed by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi at a recent session in the Chamber of Deputies. He noted that this is the fifth straight month of a notable year-over-year decline.

Piantedosi emphasized the government’s resolute position against the trafficking of migrants, especially in light of the devastating sinking of the Cutro ship that resulted in the deaths of 94 people last year. He emphasized the need for continued international cooperation to strengthen ties with transit and origin nations, especially Libya and Tunisia, with the goal of enhancing their capacities to combat irregular migration both on land and at sea.

The Italian government established a number of decrees and steps to discourage immigration, but in 2023, the number of immigrants landing in the country increased by 50% from 2022 to 156,000, including 17,000 unaccompanied youngsters. On December 29, 2023, the Italian Ministry of the Interior released data that showed a notable rise over the 103,846 recorded in 2022.

August recorded 25,673 arrivals, making it the month with the most landings. Furthermore, in the first few days of 2024, more than a thousand people entered Italy using unofficial migratory routes.

Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) showed that the number of Italians applying for asylum for the first time increased by 71% in 2022 to over 77,000 people. The top three countries of origin for these candidates were Egypt (8,800), Pakistan (11,000), and Bangladesh (15,00). With 8,000 more applications than in 2021, Bangladeshi nationals witnessed the biggest rise, while Afghan nationals saw the biggest decrease, with 3,100 fewer applications. Forty-eight percent of the 53,000 decisions made in 2022 were successful.

Italy’s annual quota for workers from third countries increased again in 2023, after a significant increase in 2022, suggesting that the labor shortage is still there. The 2023 quota was set at 82,705 workers, up from 69,700 in 2022 and surpassing the 31,000 mark held in the preceding five years. It was announced in mid-2022 and officially published in January 2023.