Just hours after the European Union’s flagship Migration and Asylum Pact entered into force on 12 June, the Italian government moved quickly to align national legislation with the new rules. On 15 June the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies published Decree-Law 100/2026 in the Official Gazette, setting out sweeping changes to every stage of Italy’s asylum and return system. The decree transposes the EU Reception Directive and the four new regulations on common asylum procedures, border returns, screening and the upgraded Eurodac database.
![Italy issues DL 100/2026 to transpose EU Migration & Asylum Pact]()
For companies and individuals needing practical guidance on visas and immigration in Italy, specialised platforms like VisaHQ can help navigate these updates. Their Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers current checklists, application tracking and expert support, smoothing compliance as the new rules bed in.
Key operational changes include a fully codified “border procedure” with strict timelines, accelerated decisions for manifestly unfounded claims and an obligation on certain applicants to reside at a specified location. The decree also raises the wait-period before an asylum seeker can take up employment from 60 to 90 days and expands the territorial commissions that decide refugee status so they can cope with the expected caseload surge under the Pact. Digital fingerprints and facial images will now be uploaded directly to the expanded Eurodac system managed by the Public Security Department. For employers the biggest immediate impact is procedural certainty: applicants channelled into the new accelerated tracks are expected to receive a first-instance decision within 12 weeks, allowing businesses to plan onboarding of prospective hires. At the same time the longer work-access waiting period may delay the availability of some candidates. Law firms are advising corporate mobility teams to review onboarding timelines, especially for seasonal and lower-skilled roles that have traditionally relied on asylum applicants’ early access to the labour market. The decree also introduces a court-validated “administrative hold” of up to five days to complete security checks, a measure aimed at closing loopholes highlighted by recent judicial rulings. Human-rights NGOs have already warned that the combination of mandatory residence and expanded detention powers must be monitored to avoid unlawful deprivation of liberty. Practically, HR and immigration managers should expect a transition period while police headquarters roll out the new IT connections to Eurodac and publish updated appointment procedures. The government has promised further implementing circulars within 30 days to clarify documentary formats and residence-proof requirements.
For companies and individuals needing practical guidance on visas and immigration in Italy, specialised platforms like VisaHQ can help navigate these updates. Their Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) offers current checklists, application tracking and expert support, smoothing compliance as the new rules bed in.
Key operational changes include a fully codified “border procedure” with strict timelines, accelerated decisions for manifestly unfounded claims and an obligation on certain applicants to reside at a specified location. The decree also raises the wait-period before an asylum seeker can take up employment from 60 to 90 days and expands the territorial commissions that decide refugee status so they can cope with the expected caseload surge under the Pact. Digital fingerprints and facial images will now be uploaded directly to the expanded Eurodac system managed by the Public Security Department. For employers the biggest immediate impact is procedural certainty: applicants channelled into the new accelerated tracks are expected to receive a first-instance decision within 12 weeks, allowing businesses to plan onboarding of prospective hires. At the same time the longer work-access waiting period may delay the availability of some candidates. Law firms are advising corporate mobility teams to review onboarding timelines, especially for seasonal and lower-skilled roles that have traditionally relied on asylum applicants’ early access to the labour market. The decree also introduces a court-validated “administrative hold” of up to five days to complete security checks, a measure aimed at closing loopholes highlighted by recent judicial rulings. Human-rights NGOs have already warned that the combination of mandatory residence and expanded detention powers must be monitored to avoid unlawful deprivation of liberty. Practically, HR and immigration managers should expect a transition period while police headquarters roll out the new IT connections to Eurodac and publish updated appointment procedures. The government has promised further implementing circulars within 30 days to clarify documentary formats and residence-proof requirements.
