The European Commission on 30 January 2026 presented a new strategic document that shifts focus from border reception to accelerated returns of irregular migrants and greater use of visa policy as diplomatic leverage. Interior-affairs commissioner Magnus Brunner highlighted a 26 % drop in irregular entries last year but singled out the Central Mediterranean – overwhelmingly the Libya-Tunisia-Italy route – as the bloc’s most active corridor. (ansa.it)
Under the plan the EU will: 1) create “multifunctional return hubs” along key routes to speed identification and repatriation; 2) mandate biometric-based identity verification using AI tools; 3) tie visa-facilitation or restriction directly to third-country cooperation on readmissions.
![EU unveils five-year migration plan prioritising returns and visa leverage – implications for Italy]()
Why this matters for Italy. Rome still shoulders 55 % of Central Mediterranean arrivals; the policy promises extra Frontex assets but also pressures Italy to expand detention-capacity and step-up deportations. Italian employers depending on non-EU seasonal staff worry that tighter visa leverage could disrupt recruitment pipelines if source countries are penalised.
Corporate-mobility angle. Multinationals relocating talent from Africa or Asia to Italian subsidiaries may see slower national-visa issuances if the EU triggers “visa-code” penalties. Firms should monitor country-specific visa-waiver negotiations and maintain alternative hiring pools.
The Commission proposes an annual scoreboard measuring each Member State’s return-rate; Italy currently stands at roughly 28 %, below the EU average. To avoid fines or reduced border-funding, the Interior Ministry is expected to tighten cooperation with consulates and step-up charter flights in 2026.
Under the plan the EU will: 1) create “multifunctional return hubs” along key routes to speed identification and repatriation; 2) mandate biometric-based identity verification using AI tools; 3) tie visa-facilitation or restriction directly to third-country cooperation on readmissions.
Why this matters for Italy. Rome still shoulders 55 % of Central Mediterranean arrivals; the policy promises extra Frontex assets but also pressures Italy to expand detention-capacity and step-up deportations. Italian employers depending on non-EU seasonal staff worry that tighter visa leverage could disrupt recruitment pipelines if source countries are penalised.
Corporate-mobility angle. Multinationals relocating talent from Africa or Asia to Italian subsidiaries may see slower national-visa issuances if the EU triggers “visa-code” penalties. Firms should monitor country-specific visa-waiver negotiations and maintain alternative hiring pools.
The Commission proposes an annual scoreboard measuring each Member State’s return-rate; Italy currently stands at roughly 28 %, below the EU average. To avoid fines or reduced border-funding, the Interior Ministry is expected to tighten cooperation with consulates and step-up charter flights in 2026.
Source: ANSAmed
