A bill to implement “remigration” has reached the Italian parliament and could soon be put to a vote.
It seeks to encourage or force immigrants to return to their countries of origin, or remigrate and targets undocumented migrants, criminals and, controversially, groups considered culturally unassimilable.
The bill originates with associations that openly support fascism or right-wing National Socialism, putting the centre-right governing majority under pressure, even though many of its members support the concept of remigration.
Several international organisations use similar concepts. The UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM) refers to return migration and provides support for migrants’ departure and reintegration into their home countries.
In recent years, particularly in the US and Europe, remigration has taken on a political meaning. Right-wing parties have promoted it as a tool to counter immigration, perceived “over-foreignisation” and migration-related security concerns.
One of the main theorists of this approach is Austrian right-wing activist Martin Sellner, author of a book entitled Remigration. In that he outlines three stages for implementing the policy: First, halt mass immigration through stricter border controls and assimilation requirements; second, return non-integrated or criminal migrants; third and most controversial, enforce the return of culturally non-assimilable groups, which may include some legal residents or even naturalised citizens.
In recent years, Sellner and his associates have built a transnational lobbying network to promote remigration among right-wing parties in the west.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) have officially included it in their platforms, while in France several right-wing parties support it, either openly, as with Reconquête party leader Éric Zemmour, or implicitly, as with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party.
The US administration has also referenced remigration in official statements.
Italy is now one of the first countries to discuss in parliament the approval of a major national law to implement remigration. The proposal closely follows the ideas of Sellner and does not come from the government but from a group of extra-parliamentary right-wing associations that openly admire fascism.
The three main groups involved are CasaPound, which defines its members as “third-millennium fascists”; Rete dei Patrioti (Network of Patriots) and the neo-Nazi organisation Veneto Fronte Skinheads, some of whose leaders have previously expressed admiration for Hitler.
In Italy, citizens can propose a law by collecting at least 50,000 signatures. These signatures are verified before the proposal is formally submitted to parliament. Lawmakers can then discuss it but they are not obliged to approve it and may amend, or reject it.
On January 30, a press conference at the Chamber of Deputies to present the signature collection in support of the popular initiative bill was cancelled after left-wing deputies occupied the press room to prevent the event.
Despite the cancellation, the signature collection quickly surpassed the 50,000 required for parliamentary submission.
The signatures must first be verified and once validated, the bill can be formally submitted and debated in parliament.
The issue presents a delicate challenge for the governing majority: All three parties — Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy), the Lega (League) and the centrist Forza Italia (Forward Italy) — share opposition to immigration and concern over the perceived loss of national identity.
Yet taking a stance on such a radical and divisive proposal could threaten coalition cohesion, especially since approving it would mean endorsing a bill from associations, some of whose members openly glorify Hitler.
Officially, only the Lega has addressed remigration, primarily through its leader Matteo Salvini and deputy leader Roberto Vannacci.
