The Italian government used the Official Gazette of 24 February to promulgate Decree-Law 23/2026, a sprawling 43-article measure that toughens public-order rules and overhauls several aspects of immigration enforcement. The text, effective immediately but subject to conversion by Parliament within 60 days, gives prefects and police broader powers to detain, identify and repatriate irregular migrants and allocates €85 million for expanding pre-removal centres (CPR). Key immigration chapters include: • Mandatory “co-operation hearings” in which a detained foreign national must help establish identity or risk lengthier detention; • Faster border re-push-backs for arrivals deemed a security threat; • A pilot accord with Switzerland to finance joint projects on voluntary returns and integration, signalling closer cross-border co-ordination. Legal practitioners point out that the decree also simplifies service of documents to asylum seekers by allowing electronic notification through SPID digital identity – a change expected to cut appeal backlogs but which NGOs fear could limit access to legal counsel. Corporates that rely on intra-EU posted workers note that Article 27 tightens reporting deadlines for address changes, with fines doubled to €10,000 for late filings. For mobility teams the immediate impact is operational. HR departments sponsoring non-EU assignees will face additional identity-verification steps at the police-headquarters stage and should budget extra lead-time. Companies operating in logistics and agriculture – sectors with historic CPR labour shortages – may experience heightened inspections aimed at rooting out undeclared employment. Parliament’s conversion debate, expected to start in early March, will be closely watched for amendments softening employer liabilities or expanding humanitarian protections. Until then, the decree’s provisions remain in force, and experts recommend reviewing pending work-permit applications for compliance with the new notification and identity provisions.
