A growing majority of Italians believe the country’s illegal immigration problem should be met with deportations, according to new polling that suggests tougher border enforcement now commands support well beyond Italy’s traditional political right.
A survey conducted by Euromedia Research found that 73 percent of Italian voters believe illegal immigrants should be deported and returned to their countries of origin. The same poll found that 57 percent view illegal immigration as a net negative for Italy, while just 14 percent see it as a positive development.
Perhaps more notable than the headline numbers is where that support appears to be coming from.
Euromedia Research director Alessandra Ghisleri said the polling shows broad agreement across much of Italy’s political spectrum that illegal migration requires firmer management.
“There is broad agreement, across political lines, on the idea that illegal arrivals must be firmly managed,” Ghisleri told Il Giornale, adding that “a significant portion of the centre-left electorate also shares this view.”
The survey also found that concerns extend beyond immigration alone. Nearly eight out of ten respondents said stability across the Mediterranean is critical to Italy’s economic and national security interests. Among those surveyed, 34 percent identified controlling illegal migration by sea as the region’s most urgent challenge.
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“While energy is the second most important concern, adding together migration flows, conflicts, and political instability, it clearly emerges that Italians’ real concern is the overall security of the Mediterranean and Middle East,” Ghisleri said.
Italy has remained one of the primary destinations for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. Many departures originate from Libya, where human-smuggling networks continue operating despite repeated efforts by European governments to disrupt them. Smugglers have frequently been accused of sending overcrowded and unseaworthy boats toward Europe with limited fuel, relying on rescue operations to complete the journey.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni entered office promising tougher immigration enforcement, and her government has secured agreements with Libya and Tunisia, backed at the European Union level, aimed at reducing departures by increasing cooperation with local authorities against people-smuggling operations.
Those agreements have produced measurable results. Illegal arrivals by sea have declined significantly compared with previous years, while deportations have increased under Meloni’s government.
Even so, the numbers continue to reveal a substantial gap. Roughly 66,000 illegal migrants have arrived during the current period referenced in the reporting, while approximately 6,000 deportations have been carried out. Although both trends have moved in the direction sought by the government, critics on Italy’s political right argue that removals continue to lag well behind new arrivals.
That frustration has opened political space for new challengers.
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Earlier this year, retired Army General Roberto Vannacci helped launch the National Future party after breaking away from Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s League. The party has advocated a tougher immigration agenda, including the removal of illegal immigrants, convicted criminals, and migrants who fail to integrate into Italian society. Vannacci has also called for policies intended to encourage higher birth rates among native Italians.
The Euromedia Research poll suggests those proposals remain politically divisive. While 36.8 percent of respondents expressed support for Vannacci’s position, 44.4 percent disagreed, and 56.8 percent considered his proposals impractical.
Despite those mixed views, National Future has shown momentum in recent polling. The party has climbed to approximately 6 percent support, edging ahead of Salvini’s League at 5.6 percent. If that trend continues, it could reshape the balance within Italy’s governing right-wing coalition ahead of next year’s elections by dividing conservative voters or forcing new political alliances.
Meloni’s government is also preparing another strategy designed to discourage illegal crossings.
Last month, the European Union approved rules allowing member states to make greater use of third-country processing arrangements. Italy has championed the idea of transferring certain migrants to facilities outside the EU, including centers in Albania, while their cases are processed. Supporters argue the approach could reduce incentives for illegal sea crossings, while critics have raised legal and humanitarian concerns about offshore processing.
