Italy Approves Bill Authorizing Naval Blockades to Stop Migrant Boats

Italy's cabinet last Wednesday approved sweeping new migration legislation that would authorize the country's navy to impose blockades on boats attempting to reach Italian shores — the most aggressive border enforcement measure yet from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”..

The bill, which still requires approval from both chambers of parliament, would empower Italian authorities to ban vessels from entering territorial waters for up to 30 days during periods deemed to pose "serious threats to public order or national security" . That initial blockade period could be extended for up to six months Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadesaljazeera.com·SecondaryItaly’s government has signed off on a new bill to curb undocumented immigration, including using the navy to block incoming migrant ships in “exceptional” cases. The cabinet of Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greenlighted the migration bill on Wednesday. It also calls for stricter border surveillance and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. Before going into effect, the bill must be approved by both chambers of parliament.. The triggers include not only terrorism risks but also situations of "exceptional migratory pressure that could compromise the secure management of borders" Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadesaljazeera.com·SecondaryItaly’s government has signed off on a new bill to curb undocumented immigration, including using the navy to block incoming migrant ships in “exceptional” cases. The cabinet of Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greenlighted the migration bill on Wednesday. It also calls for stricter border surveillance and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. Before going into effect, the bill must be approved by both chambers of parliament..

Violators would face fines of up to €50,000 ($59,400) and, in the case of repeat offenses, confiscation of their vessels — a provision widely understood to target the humanitarian rescue ships operated by NGOs in the central Mediterranean. Meloni's coalition has long maintained that charity rescue operations act as a pull factor encouraging migrants to attempt dangerous sea crossings Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”..

The legislation also expands the list of criminal convictions that can trigger deportation for foreign nationals, including assault on police officers, slavery offenses, and domestic violence Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”.. In a video posted to social media last week, Meloni was direct: "If you want to live here, you need to respect the Italian laws" Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”..

Perhaps most significantly, the bill would allow intercepted migrants to be transferred to third countries with which Italy has repatriation agreements — a mechanism that could breathe new life into the controversial offshore processing centers Italy established in Albania Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadesaljazeera.com·SecondaryItaly’s government has signed off on a new bill to curb undocumented immigration, including using the navy to block incoming migrant ships in “exceptional” cases. The cabinet of Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greenlighted the migration bill on Wednesday. It also calls for stricter border surveillance and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. Before going into effect, the bill must be approved by both chambers of parliament.. Those facilities have sat largely dormant for roughly two years after a series of legal challenges stalled operations Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadesaljazeera.com·SecondaryItaly’s government has signed off on a new bill to curb undocumented immigration, including using the navy to block incoming migrant ships in “exceptional” cases. The cabinet of Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greenlighted the migration bill on Wednesday. It also calls for stricter border surveillance and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. Before going into effect, the bill must be approved by both chambers of parliament..

EU Context Shifts in Italy's Favor

The timing was not accidental. The cabinet approved the bill on Wednesday, just one day after the European Parliament on Tuesday voted to adopt new asylum rules that allow member states to deny applications from people who could have received protection in a designated "safe" country outside the bloc . Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani hailed last Tuesday's EU vote, saying it "proves Italy right" Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadesaljazeera.com·SecondaryItaly’s government has signed off on a new bill to curb undocumented immigration, including using the navy to block incoming migrant ships in “exceptional” cases. The cabinet of Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greenlighted the migration bill on Wednesday. It also calls for stricter border surveillance and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. Before going into effect, the bill must be approved by both chambers of parliament..

For Meloni, the EU's rightward shift on migration validates a position she has held since taking office in late 2022. Her government signed deals with Libya and Tunisia to reduce departures, imposed restrictions on NGO rescue ships, and introduced harsher penalties for human smugglers . The numbers have moved in her direction: according to Italy's interior ministry, sea arrivals fell to 66,296 in 2025, roughly half the 2023 figure, and 2026 arrivals through early February stood at approximately 2,000 compared with 4,400 during the same period last year, according to government figures Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”..

Opposition Calls It a "Misguided Idea"

Italy's centre-left opposition wasted no time attacking the measure last week. Senator Peppe De Cristofaro of the Green Left Alliance called the approach fundamentally wrongheaded: "A repressive approach will not solve the issue, nor the misguided idea that a vast, structural and epoch-defining phenomenon can be addressed by building walls, erecting barbed wire or imposing naval blockades" Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”..

Humanitarian organizations echoed those concerns. Meron Ameha Knikman, senior adviser for the International Rescue Committee, warned that the broader EU migration framework is "likely to force people to countries they may never have set foot in — places where they have no community, do not speak the language, and face a very real risk of abuse and exploitation" Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadesaljazeera.com·SecondaryItaly’s government has signed off on a new bill to curb undocumented immigration, including using the navy to block incoming migrant ships in “exceptional” cases. The cabinet of Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greenlighted the migration bill on Wednesday. It also calls for stricter border surveillance and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. Before going into effect, the bill must be approved by both chambers of parliament..

The human cost of the current system remains stark. The International Organization for Migration has reported nearly 490 people missing in the central Mediterranean so far in 2026, and the bill was approved after hundreds were feared dead during a powerful storm off the North African coast earlier this year Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”..

What Happens Next

The bill's passage through parliament is far from guaranteed, though Meloni's coalition holds majorities in both chambers. The legal challenges that have hobbled the Albania processing centers over the past two years serve as a cautionary precedent — Italian courts have repeatedly found that aspects of the government's migration policy conflict with EU law and fundamental rights protections Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadesaljazeera.com·SecondaryItaly’s government has signed off on a new bill to curb undocumented immigration, including using the navy to block incoming migrant ships in “exceptional” cases. The cabinet of Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greenlighted the migration bill on Wednesday. It also calls for stricter border surveillance and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. Before going into effect, the bill must be approved by both chambers of parliament..

The naval blockade provision is likely to face the most intense scrutiny in the weeks ahead. International maritime law imposes obligations on vessels encountering people in distress at sea, and rights groups are expected to argue that blocking rescue ships from entering territorial waters could effectively criminalize the duty to save lives Italian PM vows to secure borders and approves bill allowing naval blockadestheguardian.com·SecondaryLegislation is latest step in Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government’s crackdown on irregular migration Italy’s prime minister has said her government will deploy every tool at its disposal to “guarantee the security of our borders” after approving a bill authorising naval blockades to stop boats from arriving in Italy during periods of “exceptional pressure”..

For Meloni, the political calculus is straightforward: delivering on her signature campaign promise while the European mood favors restrictive migration policies. Whether the legal architecture can sustain the ambition is another question entirely.