Italy has returned 23 Egyptian nationals to Cairo in a coordinated repatriation operation involving the European Union’s border agency Frontex and Egyptian authorities.
The group was transported to Egypt on a charter flight after being expelled from Italy. Italian media reports said all 23 individuals had criminal or police records linked to offenses involving people or property.
Specialist personnel accompanied the Egyptian nationals during the operation, which was conducted under the migration cooperation framework between Italy and Egypt.
The bilateral arrangement allows Egypt to readmit its citizens who enter Italy through irregular routes and provides for the use of charter flights to facilitate organized returns. It also enables Egyptian officials to assist with identifying nationals whose readmission is being considered, including through procedures that can be carried out in Egypt.
Nineteen of those repatriated had been held in Italian immigration detention facilities pending their removal. They were detained at centers including Caltanissetta-Pian del Lago in Sicily, Gradisca d’Isonzo near the Slovenian border, Milan-Corelli, Turin-Brunelleschi, Brindisi-Restinco and Palazzo San Gervasio.
The remaining four were expelled under orders issued by police authorities. Two of the orders came from Milan, while Varese and Messina police each issued one.
Among those returned was an Egyptian national who reached Lampedusa on July 7. His case was reportedly the first to undergo the accelerated asylum and repatriation process introduced after the EU Migration and Asylum Pact came into effect. His removal followed the completion of the required judicial proceedings.
The latest flight brings the number of charter repatriation operations from Italy to Egypt this year to 16. The operations have so far resulted in the return of 381 foreign nationals, according to reported figures.
In 2025, Italy carried out 18 charter flights to Egypt, leading to the repatriation of 454 Egyptian citizens.
The increased focus on returns comes despite a substantial decline in irregular migration to Italy. UNHCR data indicates that arrivals have dropped by more than half compared with 2025. Libya continues to be the main departure point for people attempting to reach Italy through the Central Mediterranean, although departures and arrivals along that route have also decreased.
Other migrants arriving in Italy have travelled from Tunisia, Algeria and Turkey.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has continued to pursue a firm approach to irregular migration, combining stricter asylum measures with tougher penalties for migrant smuggling and agreements with countries in North Africa.
Repatriation remains an important part of the government’s strategy. Italy has also pursued plans to process migrants through facilities in Albania, although the initiative has faced legal and operational difficulties. The facilities have increasingly been associated with return operations rather than the offshore asylum processing model originally proposed by the government.
The introduction of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact has further altered Italy’s position within the bloc’s migration system. As a country on the EU’s external border, Italy is expected to receive additional support as a first-entry state. At the same time, other EU members may seek to transfer asylum seekers back to Italy when they initially entered the European Union through Italian territory.
The Italian government has welcomed the new framework, arguing that it gives greater recognition and support to countries exposed to high levels of migration pressure. Opposition parties, however, have expressed concern that the system could result in Italy receiving more asylum seekers transferred from other EU countries.
The reduction in arrivals to Italy reflects a broader decline in irregular crossings at Europe’s external borders. Frontex recorded a 37% decrease in irregular border crossings during the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
The Central Mediterranean route between North Africa and Italy and Malta, along with the Eastern Mediterranean route connecting Turkey and Greece, accounted for approximately 60% of all recorded irregular crossings during the period.
While crossings declined on both routes, Frontex reported an increase along the Western Mediterranean route towards Spain.
Despite the fall in arrivals, migration is expected to remain a significant political issue in Italy ahead of the 2027 parliamentary election. The Meloni government continues to place border enforcement, migrant returns and the fight against irregular migration at the center of its migration policy.