Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced a new policy on Friday where asylum seekers will be required to pay $5,259 (€4,938) to avoid detention at a facility while their applications are processed. This move, as detailed in a recent decree, is considered a method of providing a financial guarantee for the right to enter Italy as an asylum seeker.
Under the parameters of the decree, those seeking asylum in Italy must pay this fee via a bank account or an insurance policy; third-party payments are not accepted. This transaction must also be completed before the set deadline and prior to border control processing the applicants’ biometric data.
This decree comes at a time of increased tensions between Mediterranean countries and migrants originating from North Africa, with Italy experiencing another significant influx of migrants. As a result, the Italian government has set up more detention centers in key migrant landing areas, such as the island of Lampedusa. The detention duration for migrants in these centers has also been extended from three months to 1.5 years.
In response to the mounting pressure, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in coordination with President of the European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen, articulated that European countries need to collaborate to prevent departures from North Africa and immediately deport those whose asylum applications are turned down. Meloni and von Der Leyen developed a 10-point plan to increase border surveillance, expedite returns and deportations, and crack down on smugglers utilizing ‘unworthy’ sea vessels. The latest data shows that 132,867 migrants have reached Italy’s coasts, which is over double the amount recorded during the same period last year.
Please continue to monitor for updates on this matter. The original report can be found here.