The Italian government has announced a sharp decline in irregular sea arrivals, with new official figures showing a 77 per cent reduction compared to 2023 and a 52 per cent drop compared to 2025 for the same period this year.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi presented the data during a parliamentary session, highlighting what the government describes as a clear success of its strict migration policy.
Since the Meloni government took office in October 2022, the total number of repatriations has increased by more than 40 per cent, with a further 30 per cent rise recorded in the first months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
Most notably, the ratio of repatriations to irregular arrivals has improved significantly.
In 2023, only three per cent of those who landed irregularly were repatriated.
This rose to 10 per cent last year and has now reached 31 per cent in the early months of 2026.
Minister Piantedosi told parliament: “In light of these elements and the data I have reported, the only possible conclusion is that the Government will continue with determination the path taken to guarantee legality and safety to citizens.”
Lega MP Simona Bordonali, responding on behalf of the coalition, praised the results and pledged continued support for the government’s approach.
She noted increases in police numbers, faster hiring, salary improvements for law enforcement, falling crime rates, rising repatriations, and falling arrivals.
These figures represent a major political victory for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has made regaining control of Italy’s borders one of her signature promises.
Italy’s populist government attributes the success to a combination of bilateral agreements with North African countries, naval interdiction operations, the Albania immigrant processing centre scheme, and a tougher stance toward NGO vessels operating near Libyan waters.
The dramatic reduction in arrivals has eased pressure on Italy’s reception system and public services, though humanitarian organisations continue to raise concerns about conditions in Libya and potential increases in deaths at sea on more dangerous routes.
The latest statistics are likely to strengthen Meloni’s position both domestically and in EU migration negotiations, where Italy has increasingly positioned itself as a model for effective border management.
Opposition parties on the Left have criticised the government’s approach as overly harsh, but the hard data on reduced arrivals and increased returns has left them struggling to counter the narrative of success.
