Italy’s right-wing governing partners – Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI) and Matteo Salvini’s League – on 8 July tabled parallel draft laws designed to make it much easier to deport foreign nationals convicted in Italian courts and to revoke Italian citizenship from naturalised migrants who commit grave offences. Under the FdI bill, any non-EU national who receives a prison sentence longer than one year would be repatriated once the conviction becomes final. The Interior Ministry would be empowered to negotiate fast-track bilateral transfer agreements that bypass the lengthy mutual-legal-assistance procedures that have slowed past removals. League whips are also seeking a parliamentary “fast-track” for a companion bill that would allow judges to deny or withdraw citizenship where applicants or recent naturalised citizens are charged with violent crimes, drug trafficking or mafia-related felonies. Supporters argue that the proposals are now legally feasible because of flexibility written into the EU Migration Pact during last-minute negotiations in Brussels, a change the government credits to Meloni. FdI MP Galeazzo Bignami pointed out that one quarter of Italy’s 64,000-strong prison population are foreigners, claiming that deportations could ease chronic overcrowding and lower costs.
![Italy’s coalition pushes new bills to fast-track deportations and strip citizenship for serious crimes]()
As legislative landscapes shift, organisations and individuals can turn to VisaHQ for up-to-date guidance on Italian entry, residence and citizenship rules. Our dedicated Italy portal consolidates the latest policy changes, visa requirements and document checklists, and our specialists can arrange expedited appointments or filing assistance so that assignees remain compliant even as new deportation and citizenship-revocation measures advance.
Immigration lawyers and opposition parties warn, however, that the one-year threshold is far below the standard applied in most EU states and could violate proportionality principles in EU case-law. They also fear an up-tick in litigation before the European Court of Human Rights if Italy deports people to countries with poor human-rights records. For global mobility and HR teams the immediate concern is whether foreign assignees who receive even minor suspended sentences (for example, after traffic incidents) could suddenly see their residence permits revoked. Employers should review internal compliance policies, advise expatriates on Italy’s criminal-law thresholds and monitor the bills as they move to committee after the summer recess.
As legislative landscapes shift, organisations and individuals can turn to VisaHQ for up-to-date guidance on Italian entry, residence and citizenship rules. Our dedicated Italy portal consolidates the latest policy changes, visa requirements and document checklists, and our specialists can arrange expedited appointments or filing assistance so that assignees remain compliant even as new deportation and citizenship-revocation measures advance.
Immigration lawyers and opposition parties warn, however, that the one-year threshold is far below the standard applied in most EU states and could violate proportionality principles in EU case-law. They also fear an up-tick in litigation before the European Court of Human Rights if Italy deports people to countries with poor human-rights records. For global mobility and HR teams the immediate concern is whether foreign assignees who receive even minor suspended sentences (for example, after traffic incidents) could suddenly see their residence permits revoked. Employers should review internal compliance policies, advise expatriates on Italy’s criminal-law thresholds and monitor the bills as they move to committee after the summer recess.
