The immigration policy that promoted the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni last year, with important agreements with some countries, especially with Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, had a remarkable success, with a 60% reduction in the arrival of immigrants on the Italian coasts. … However, the latest data reveals a worrying fact: the Central Mediterranean route, which leads immigration to Italy, records an increase of more than 40% in the first two months of 2025, blurring the achievements of the previous year, very aerated by the Meloni government.
In total, until March 14 they arrived in Italy 8,347 irregular immigrants, compared to 6,412 in the same period of 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Interior. In contrast to the increase that Italy, migratory routes to Spain, Greece and Balkans were reduced.
In total, irregular immigrants who arrived in the EU in January and February were about 25,000, according to Frontex, 25% less than in the same period of the previous year. The Western Africa Route to the Canary Islands – most of Mali, Senegal and Guinea – remains very active, although it has also been reduced around 30%, according to Frontex: this route was made by 7,200 people in what we have been for the year.
Where are the causes of the reverse suffered in these first two months of the year by the Meloni government in its immigration strategy? The explanation, according to Frontex, is mostly in Libya, a divided country and in permanent conflict. The agreements signed by Meloni with Libya and Tunisia, keys at the time, today show some cracks exploited by traffickers and militias. The Italian Prime Minister achieved diplomatic success by signing a pact with the general Khalifa Haftarlinked to Moscow and de facto leader of the entire eastern part of Libya, La Cirenaica.
Libya, main starting point
The agreement slowed the mass exits from Tobruk, city and very important port of Cyrenaica. But General Haftar, according to analysts, has not prevented Asian immigrants, fundamentally from Bangladesh and Pakistan, arrive by plane to Benghazi, under their control, and then travel to land to the west Libyan, the Tripolitania region, an area governed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. According to Frontex, many Bangladesi arrive in Libya legally thanks to the labor agreements between Bangladesh and the North African country.
Libya remains the main starting point towards Italy, but the methods have evolved. Instead of the precarious vessels of previous years, the traffickers now use fast boats with double motor. In this way they manage to evade the Libyan coast guard, which, by the agreement with Italy, has the obligation to monitor the coast and its territorial waters to prevent immigrants. Once in international waters, those people must often be rescued, in general by Italian ships.
Traffickers have improved vessels with two engines, substantially increasing their profits: they can significantly increase the number of immigrants on board and charge for the journey to Italy between 5,000 and 8,000 euros per person. Now, two thirds of the arrivals in the transalpine country are citizens of Bangladesh and Pakistan, nationalities that until recently had little presence in this route of the central Mediterranean. Official figures indicate that 3,195 Bangladesí and 1,247 Pakistani have made the trip from Libya to Italy this year.
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