A major debate on remigration has unfolded in Italy after a large demonstration in Rome on June 13, 2026 called for the adoption of such policies.
Organised by a network of neo-fascist associations and activist groups, the rally attracted thousands of participants who demanded the expulsion of illegal immigrants, foreign nationals convicted of crimes and, in some cases, Italian citizens of foreign origin who commit serious offences or are considered insufficiently integrated into Italian society. Organisers claimed more than 10,000 people took part, while news agency AFP put the figure at around 3,000.
The Rome rally has sparked controversy because it was organised by openly neo-fascist groups, which displayed fascist symbols, chants and salutes. This has prompted concerns among some conservative advocates of the policy, who argue that its association with neo-fascism could undermine efforts to bring it into mainstream political debate.
Remigration is a political concept advocating the return of large numbers of immigrants settled in Europe and the United States to their countries of origin, either voluntarily or through state action.
Although the term has long been used by public authorities and international organisations to describe the return of migrants, it has acquired a more explicitly political meaning in recent years, largely through the work of Austrian activist Martin Sellner. In his book Remigration: A Proposal, published in 2023 by the German publisher Antaios, Sellner outlined a strategy for implementing remigration policies and popularising the concept across Europe and the United States.
According to proponents of the idea, remigration should primarily target three categories: Illegal immigrants, foreign nationals convicted of crimes and, in its broader interpretations, individuals of immigrant background who are considered unwilling or unable to integrate into the host society, including those linked to extremist or terrorist organisations.
Over the past several years, Sellner and like-minded activists have sought to promote the concept by building a transnational network of political parties, organisations and intellectual figures operating across Europe and, increasingly, the United States, with the stated aim of normalising the idea within Western policy debates and advancing its implementation.
The concept has become increasingly prominent among nationalist and anti-immigration movements across Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria and France. Its growing influence was highlighted at a remigration summit held in Figueira da Foz, south of Porto in central Portugal, on May 30, 2026, which brought together activists and political figures from Europe and the United States.
Among the attendees was Gregory Bovino, the former chief of the US Border Patrol, whose presence was widely interpreted as a sign of the movement’s growing transatlantic reach and its increasing links with American border-security circles. According to Politico, the event also drew elected officials from Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Spain’s Vox.
This transnational network associated with Sellner has been described by some media outlets as an international lobby for remigration. While it does not display neo-fascist or extremist symbols and rejects nostalgia for historical fascist movements**, arguing** that such associations would be counterproductive to its political objectives, it does not actively distance itself from movements that draw inspiration from fascist traditions. Sellner and his circle emphasise their differences with neo-fascist groups, but do not seek to prevent such actors from adopting or promoting their ideas.
It is precisely this link with neo-fascist movements that has sharpened the debate following the June 13 demonstration in Rome. The issue has circulated in Italy for some time, largely through the activity of Sellner’s network in the country, whose most visible local figure is Andrea Ballarati, a young activist who previously took part in the youth wing of Brothers of Italy rather than coming from neo-fascist organisations.
Several right-wing politicians, including figures within the League such as League leader and deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, have expressed support for the concept of remigration, although it is not officially included in the party programme or government policy. Some politicians have also attended or endorsed events linked to Sellner’s network.
It has been particularly strongly promoted by former general Roberto Vannacci, who was elected to the European Parliament on the League’s list in 2024 but left the party in February 2026 to found a new party, Futuro Nazionale (National Future). On June 13 and 14, 2026 he held its founding assembly in Rome, positioning the party to the Right of the governing coalition, which he argues is too moderate on migration policy. For Vannacci, remigration has become a central political concept. Recent opinion polls put National Future at around 4.5 per cent, much of that support drawn from the League.
The concept has also been taken up by a broader network of neo-fascist organisations that organised the June 13 demonstration in Rome. The event was the product of an alliance between groups long divided by internal rivalries, which in recent months have united in a committee called Remigrazione e Riconquista (“Remigration and Reconquest”). Its programme closely mirrors the positions outlined by Sellner.
The committee includes Casapound, which describes itself as “fascists of the third millennium”, the Rete dei Patrioti (a rebranded label for activists formerly associated with the right-wing Forza Nuova), and the Veneto Fronte Skinheads.
These groups have no parliamentary representation and, according to polling data, limited public support. The committee says it has gathered more than 150,000 signatures for a popular-initiative bill aimed at implementing remigration policies as theorised by Sellner, although without formal coordination with his network. The June 13 demonstration was intended to draw attention to that campaign.
During the event, participants displayed Roman salutes, chanted slogans associated with Italy’s fascist era and expressed admiration for Benito Mussolini. This has intensified the debate among commentators and analysts, raising the question of whether remigration in Italy is becoming an expression of neo-fascist politics.
For many conservative commentators such displays were a strategic mistake. “Those leading this battle should have a single objective: To broaden it, bring it into the mainstream and into public debate,” said political commentator Massimo Salvati on X. “With those chants, Casapound and the ‘Remigrazione e Riconquista’ committee delivered exactly the image the media wanted: Remigration equals fascism. Those slogans made that narrative credible.”
Andrea Ballarati, one of the most visible organisers within Sellner’s Italian network, rejected the association between remigration and neo-fascism while acknowledging the political sensitivity of the issue. While underlining that “distancing oneself unconditionally from the rally organisers is a mistake, because it gives left-wing media the power to weaponise it,” he added that the use of fascist symbols at migration-related demonstrations “creates concern.” He described the initiative as being “wrapped in a kind of nostalgia that people are frankly tired of and which mainstream institutions would normally reject outright,” adding: “I sincerely hope this entire project is not damaged by these elements.”
