The European Commission has released its first monitoring report on the application of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, four weeks after the new legislation entered into force on 12 June 2026. While Brussels acknowledges that Rome has “made significant efforts” – from staff training to connecting national databases to the revamped Eurodac system – the assessment highlights a gap between preparation and practice. In the first three weeks of the scheme, Italy turned down 12 formal requests from other Member States to take charge of asylum seekers whose claims should legally be examined by Italy. Under the Pact, frontline countries that receive large numbers of irregular arrivals must accept transfers from partners who have registered the same asylum seekers further inland. The transfer system is designed to discourage so-called “secondary movements” and to give businesses and local authorities more predictability about where protection applicants will ultimately reside. Cyprus, Spain and Greece have already accepted or scheduled transfers; Italy has yet to schedule the first movement, citing logistical problems at border facilities and the need for additional reception space. Commission officials warn that the October 2026 review will look not only at legal compliance but also at practical solidarity. If the backlog persists, the executive could activate remedial measures under Article 60(3) of Regulation 2024/1351, including the temporary suspension of transfers from Italy or the obligation to accept extra relocations from other Member States. Such a move would undermine Italy’s long-standing call for “equal burden-sharing” and could complicate relations with key EU partners ahead of next year’s budget negotiations. For multinational employers, the findings matter because delays in the screening and relocation pipeline affect the availability of residence permits, access to the labour market and the timeline for family-reunification visas. Corporations that place staff in Italy under intra-company transfer, EU Blue Card or local hiring routes should expect longer lead times in prefecture appointments and may need to budget for interim housing outside the main reception network. Immigration advisers recommend building at least an extra eight weeks into mobility schedules until the next Commission report clarifies the operational outlook. In the meantime, the Italian government has promised an inter-ministerial decree to streamline physical transfers and to expand dedicated accommodation hubs near the airports of Rome and Milan. If successfully implemented, these measures could avert corrective action from Brussels and restore Italy’s position as a key beneficiary – rather than a bottleneck – of the new EU solidarity framework.
Source: The Brussels Times
