Late on 11 November the Justice Committee of the Chamber of Deputies finalised its report on Decree-Law 168/2026, clearing the way for a fast-track floor vote expected next week. While the wide-ranging decree primarily targets judicial efficiency, several last-minute amendments significantly reshape Italy’s migration framework in line with the forthcoming EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Foremost, the text extends the current “transitional regime” for registering asylum applications until 30 April 2027. During this period, Questure and border-police units will remain competent to receive initial declarations of intent, allowing the Ministry of the Interior more time to upgrade IT systems for the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the delayed ETIAS platform. A new clause explicitly bars police detention of migrants who voluntarily present themselves to file an asylum request, reducing litigation risk for carriers and employers caught by facilitation rules. Another headline change eases family-reunification rules for highly skilled foreign staff. Spouses, disabled adult children and dependent parents of intra-company transferees, senior managers, researchers and other “Article 27-quater” permit holders will be exempt from the two-year legal residence requirement, enabling multinational companies to move talent to Italy more rapidly. At the same time, Article 1 funds a further extension of 1,350 fixed-term court clerks dedicated to immigration cases through January 2027, which practitioners hope will cut the current six-month backlog for detention-validation hearings. Employers should review mobility policies in light of the softer reunification rule and the new April 2027 deadline, especially for transferees arriving after the original 31 December 2026 cut-off. Carriers operating at land borders with Slovenia must continue to monitor documentation checks that will now coincide with the extended asylum-registration window. Once the decree is converted into law, implementing guidelines are expected from the Ministry of the Interior within 30 days, and companies are advised to liaise with local immigration counsel to anticipate procedural tweaks.
