The Directorate-General for Immigration at Italy’s Labour Ministry released fresh statistics on unaccompanied foreign minors (MSNA) present in the national protection network as of 31 August 2026. The interactive dashboard, published on 21 September, shows 18,142 minors registered—down 5 percent from July but still 22 percent higher than the same period in 2025. More than half (53 percent) are aged 16-17, with Egyptians, Bangladeshis and Guineans forming the three largest nationality groups. Sicily hosts 29 percent of all MSNA, followed by Lombardy (12 percent) and Emilia-Romagna (9 percent). The data also track exit pathways: 1,907 minors turned 18 during August and transitioned into adult reception schemes, while 112 were reunited with family under Dublin or bilateral procedures. For employers, the figures matter because many regional authorities use them to calibrate apprenticeship quotas and integration support. The rise in adolescent arrivals is likely to keep pressure on vocational-training budgets and could accelerate the roll-out of fast-track work-permit conversion for former MSNA—an initiative piloted in Sicily last spring. Global-mobility teams moving staff to Italy should be aware that local authorities increasingly ask companies to prioritise youth-training placements for former MSNA when applying for internship permits. Monitoring the dashboard helps anticipate where integration partnerships are most in demand.
