Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has highlighted a major decrease in irregular migrant arrivals to Italy, emphasizing the importance of continuing efforts to combat illegal migration. Speaking at the 18th annual conference of ambassadors held at the Italian Foreign Office, La Farnesina, Tajani revealed that irregular arrivals have dropped by nearly 60 percent, thanks to strengthened cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
“We have made Africa a priority to reinforce our partnerships with both origin and transit countries. Inter-ministerial cooperation is essential to fight criminal networks and address the root causes of migration in a structured way. The results are clear: irregular arrivals have fallen by almost 60 percent,” Tajani said.
The Foreign Minister stressed that while the reduction is significant, momentum must not be lost. “This is an extraordinary achievement for the government and for ambassadors, who play a vital role in this strategy. But we cannot slow down: when things are moving in the right direction, that is precisely when we must press on,” he added.
Italy remains the leading European Union country for irregular migrant arrivals. As of December 9, 64,000 irregular migrants have been recorded arriving by sea, Tajani noted. He emphasized that global migration challenges require close cooperation with countries of origin, transit, and destination to achieve sustainable results.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi also addressed the conference, confirming that this is the second consecutive year in which Italy has successfully reduced irregular migration flows. “Arrivals have decreased by nearly 60 percent,” he said. “We also increased the number of returns, surpassing 6,000 forced repatriations this year alone.”
Piantedosi pointed to the Ivory Coast as a case study for successful bilateral cooperation. When the current government took office, the Ivory Coast was the most frequently declared nationality among migrants disembarking in the country. Through targeted action, irregular arrivals from the country have been virtually eliminated.
The Interior Minister further explained that most migrants departing from Libya follow routes originating in South Asia, often passing through Gulf countries and Egypt. He revealed that the Central Mediterranean route generates around one billion dollars (approximately 853.2 million euros) annually for smuggling networks, based on interviews conducted with migrants at disembarkation.
“These irregular migration routes are not spontaneous but organized systems of transnational trafficking that flourish when states’ intervention capacity lags behind the adaptability of criminal networks,” Piantedosi said. He also highlighted that some international estimates suggest a global turnover of 5 to 6 billion dollars from migration, with Italy’s share accounting for roughly 20 percent of the total.
The Italian government continues to stress coordinated international action, strengthened border management, and targeted cooperation with origin and transit countries as key measures to maintain the reduction in irregular arrivals and disrupt criminal smuggling operations.