The European Parliament’s LIBE committee has placed the “institution of a common EU system for the return of third-country nationals” on its 23 February agenda, according to the Euroagenda bulletin published the same morning. Although only a committee vote, legislative insiders say the draft enjoys cross-party backing and could enter trilogue negotiations by April. For Italy—responsible for roughly one-quarter of EU return orders issued in 2025—the proposal could unlock Brussels funding for charter flights and biometric-data sharing, easing a logistical load that currently costs Rome an estimated €120 million annually. The draft regulation would create a single digital platform connecting Member-State police databases with Frontex-chartered flight manifests, standardise detention-centre oversight rules and establish performance benchmarks linked to Schengen evaluations. Business-immigration advisers are watching closely: the regulation’s Article 12 proposes an EU-wide “return management interface” that will sit on top of national visa and residence databases. Italy’s Interior Ministry has already confirmed that its SIRP system is technically compatible, but the country would need to amend privacy rules to allow real-time data pushes to Frontex—an issue likely to spark parliamentary debate in Rome. If adopted in its present form, the system could speed up the issuance of nulla osta for employers by verifying overstays more quickly, yet it might also trigger tighter scrutiny of posted-worker permit renewals if previous exit data are missing. Companies should audit expatriate records now to ensure departure stamps or carrier manifests are available in digital form.
Source: ANSA – Euroagenda
