Italy's sweeping security decree tightens protests, knives and migration rules
Italy has approved a new security decree combining stricter public safety rules with measures to manage migration, including incentives to encourage voluntary returns.
The package, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government, was passed by parliament just before a deadline that would have caused it to expire. It forms part of a broader effort to tighten alien policing and reduce illegal migration.
A key element is a scheme that pays around €615 per case to professionals who help migrants return voluntarily to their countries of origin.
Originally limited to lawyers, the payments have now been extended to other figures, such as mediators and authorised representatives. The compensation is granted for assisting with the process even if the return is not completed.
The government has set aside just over €1.4 million for the scheme between 2026 and 2028. It expects the incentives to increase participation in voluntary return programmes, which officials see as a simpler and less forceful alternative to deportations.
Meloni has defended the policy as practical and in line with European efforts to expand voluntary repatriation. She said it recognises the work of professionals who guide migrants through legal and administrative procedures.
In a statement following the vote, she said the measures provide more tools to tackle violence, urban decay, illegal occupations, widespread crime, and illegal migration, while offering greater protection to police officers and "honest citizens."
The decree includes a range of domestic security measures. These include the possibility of holding individuals in advance if they are seen as a risk during protests, a ban on selling knives to minors, and action against youth street gangs.
The law also strengthens legal protections for police officers, especially in cases involving self-defence.
The government says the overall aim is to improve public safety while handling migration more efficiently.
Although opposition parties protested during the vote, the decree has now been approved and will take effect immediately. The government says it will continue to build on these measures as part of its wider security and migration strategy.
