Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Information received from Italy on follow-up to the concluding observations on its twenty-first periodic report *
[Date received: 8 September 2025]
I.Introduction
1.Italy is in a position to reply to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s request that the State party provide, within one year of the adoption of the concluding observations, information on implementation of the recommendations identified (CERD/C/ITA/CO/21), para. 45) pursuant to article 9, paragraph 1, of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
II.Follow-up information on the concluding observations (CERD/C/ITA/CO/21)
A.Information relating to paragraph 15 (c)
2.Italy has long been committed to promoting concrete measures for the social inclusion of Roma, Sinti and Caminanti communities, with particular emphasis on housing policies, also as a means to prevent forced evictions.
3.The 2012–2020 National Strategy for the Inclusion of Roma, Sinti and Caminanti identified as a key priority the need to “definitively overcome emergency approaches and large mono-ethnic settlements, respecting local opportunities, family unity, and promoting equitable relocation strategies.” This vision, initially proposed by Roma and Sinti communities themselves, introduced the concept of a “broad range of housing solutions” as a way to ensure more sustainable, inclusive, and dignified living conditions.
4.In 2022, Italy adopted the National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma and Sinti 2021–2030, in line with the Council Recommendation of the European Union of 12 March 2021 (2021/C 93/01), which calls for concrete measures to combat discrimination and promote the social and socio-economic inclusion of Roma and Sinti communities.
5.Within this framework, Italy pays particular attention to the issue of forced evictions of Roma, Sinti and Caminanti communities, recognising the impact such practices have on fundamental rights and living conditions. One of the key objectives of the Strategy is to guarantee access to adequate housing and to the right to housing, in accordance with European and international standards, and to ensure that housing policies contribute to inclusion rather than segregation.
6.The housing axis of the Strategy is considered a strategic priority for overcoming the conditions of marginalization, spatial segregation and structural disadvantage that continue to affect a significant share of the Roma and Sinti population. The Strategy underlines the importance of a structural and long-term approach, combining national coordination and local implementation, with a strong emphasis on capacity building of institutions and the creation of a multi-level, multi-stakeholder governance system.
7.The new Strategy builds on the lessons learned from the previous National Strategy for the Inclusion of Roma, Sinti and Caminanti (2012–2020), and promotes the adoption of multiannual planning, inter-institutional dialogue, and evidence-based policymaking. Civil society organisations, including those active in the National Roma and Sinti Platform established by UNAR in 2017, have played a crucial role in providing territorial knowledge and supporting the design of measures, especially in relation to housing.
8.To address this complex challenge, which requires the active involvement of local authorities, the National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) has, since 2018, promoted the development of Local Action Plans (Piani di Azione Locale – P.A.L.), placing housing at the core of intervention strategies. These plans have been implemented through local dialogue and coordination platforms led by municipalities such as Rome, Cagliari, Milan, Genoa, Naples, Bari, Messina, and Catania, with the objective of fostering integrated policies and promoting the active participation of Roma, Sinti, and Caminanti communities in social, political, economic, and civic life.
9.In parallel, UNAR, in cooperation with the Conference of Regions, launched the Regional Action Plans (Piani di Azione Regionale – P.A.R.) to support the design and implementation of measures for social and housing inclusion. These plans provide technical assistance and aim to improve access to financial resources for Roma and Sinti individuals facing heightened social vulnerability.
10.A national survey carried out by UNAR in collaboration with the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) has shown a growth in local housing inclusion projects, with 96 projects implemented between 2012 and 2020. The same survey highlighted two positive trends: the discontinuation of the practice of creating new segregated settlements, and the reduction of forced evictions carried out without compliance with minimum standards and without the provision of suitable alternatives. Is worth mentioning a trend of decreasing presence in the settlements (from about 28,000 people in 2015 to about 14,000 people in 2020).
11.The Strategy also foresees a new dedicated survey carried out by ISTAT, which will be published by 2025, to evaluate the quality of housing transition pathways, and to compare the conditions of Roma and Sinti people benefiting from such programmes with those still living in informal or segregated settlements. This will provide updated data for monitoring the housing inclusion gap and the overall impact of the measures.
12.The Strategy sets out a range of interconnected actions, including:
Promotion of surveys and research activities to provide a continuously updated overview of housing conditions and support the evaluation of intermediate steps and the impact of the interventions;
Strengthening of local authorities’ capacity to act, including capacity building initiatives to improve their ability to design and implement housing inclusion projects, especially by supporting access to relevant European funding instruments;
Mediation, counselling, and awareness-raising initiatives, including guidance for Roma and Sinti families in accessing local housing opportunities, and public information campaigns to counter prejudice, reduce discrimination, prevent conflicts, and promote the right to housing;
Inter-institutional activities, including the creation of a dedicated inter-institutional unit to promote access to housing and support the implementation of local, regional and national public policies, with the aim of improving the quality and effectiveness of accompanying and transition measures from settlements to mainstream housing solutions;
Development of guidelines to improve and harmonise procedures for accessing public housing in situations of particular vulnerability, and to facilitate housing allocation processes;
Promotion and experimentation of alternative and innovative housing models, such as social housing, co-housing, self-construction, self-recovery, and the rehabilitation of abandoned or underutilised buildings (e.g., rural or agricultural structures);
Creation of thematic networks, also through specific memoranda of understanding, involving public authorities and enterprises to foster coordinated, sustainable housing solutions;
Through these measures, the Strategy seeks to ensure that Roma, Sinti and Caminanti communities are no longer excluded from housing opportunities and that housing policies become a vehicle of social inclusion, rather than a factor of segregation or instability.
B.Information relating to paragraph 17 (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) (h) and (i)
13.The non-refoulement principle is established by Italian law and is fully implemented in practice. When lacking international protection requirements (Refugee Status and Subsidiary Protection), this principle is guaranteed through complementary protection types, as applicable.
14.Law 176/2023, by amending Article 2 “Definitions” of Legislative Decree 25/2008, introduces letter h-bis to broaden and better define vulnerable persons: children; UAMs; PwDs;34 the elderly; women; single parents with children; victims of trafficking; persons suffering from serious illnesses or mental disorders; persons proven to have suffered torture, rape, or other serious forms of psychological, physical, or sexual violence; victims of genital mutilation. Vulnerabilities’ list is in line with EU and national legislation and concerns persons with special needs, both in terms of reception and procedures for the application’s examination.
15.The legislative amendments introduced have not changed the general framework of protection for those who flee from persecution, death penalty, or torture in their own country or where they risk their life in armed conflict. The right to asylum has remained intact in its constitutional value.
16.As further proof of the strong emphasis placed on the protection of human rights, it should be noted that Italian law states that, “In no case may expulsion be carried out if the foreigner in the country of destination may be persecuted for reasons of race, sex, language, nationality, religion, political opinion, personal or social conditions, or may risk being returned to another state where he is not protected from persecution” (Art. 19, paragraph 1, Unified Text on Immigration).
17.In compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, Territorial Commissions (TCs) on International Protection may recognize protection – complementary to international protection – called “special protection”, being granted when it is not possible, under specific conditions, to recognize international protection status.
18.National Asylum Commission yearly updates training for TC’s officers – organized in cooperation with EUAA. The latter prepares modules on “Interviewing vulnerable persons” and “GBV victims”. For all relevant institutional actors, specific guidelines/manuals are available (e.g. UNHCR-IDC Vulnerability Screening Tool – Identifying and Addressing Vulnerability: a tool for asylum and migration systems, 2016; EUAA, Practical guide: Qualification for international protection, April 2018, EUAA, Practical Guide: Evidence Assessment, March 2015, EUAA, Practical Guide: Personal Interview, December 2014, which include focus on the identification of vulnerable applicants and special safeguards).
19.A comprehensive set of initiatives of a regulatory and administrative nature is being implemented to achieve adequate increase in human resources among relevant officers and staff with administrative support functions besides ensuring their adequate training. Of relevance is the quality monitoring of asylum procedures, meaning fair and efficient procedure conducted in a transparent manner in accordance with CEAS standards. Quality monitoring is carried out by National Asylum Commission’s “Quality Unit”, including Commission officials, EUAA, and UNHCR that develop/disseminate asylum procedure support tools and good practices.
20.On May 19, 2022, Minister of Interior adopted Directive on Criteria for the organization and management of CPRs116 to set rules for the CPRs being clearer, homogeneous, and uniform. Article 1 stipulates that the person in a CPR is provided with the necessary assistance and full respect for the fundamental rights.
21.In June 2023, Handbook for detection, referral and taking care of migrants with vulnerabilities was published, providing guidance on procedures at all reception stages, besides operational instructions –as developed within Vulnerability WG, chaired by Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration-Ministry of Interior, with participation of MoH, INMP, Public Security Department, UNHCR, UNICEF, EUAA, Frontex, Europol, Coast Guard, Italian Red Cross, and other International Organizations.
22.Italy’s migration strategy focuses on three main pillars: strengthening fight against human trafficking, smuggling and criminal organizations; strengthening and expanding legal and safe channels of migration; removing underlying causes.
23.Decree-Law 20 of 2023, converted with amendments by Law 50, introduced the accelerated border procedures for examining applications for international protection. These procedures apply to those who attempt to enter Italy irregularly by evading border controls and to those who come from a country of origin considered to be safe. The procedures fit into the European normative framework established by Directive 32 of 2013. The applicant may be retained in a Centre, for the time necessary to complete the accelerated procedure.
24.Decree-Law 20 of 2023 provides for some exceptions to the application of the accelerated border procedures. In particular, the accelerated procedure does not apply to unaccompanied minors and applicants for international protection who have special needs, as defined in Article 17 of Legislative Decree 142 of 2015. By way of example, the following may constitute special vulnerabilities: physical or mental health problems; belonging to a particularly vulnerable social group, such as women, LGBT+ persons, the elderly. In any case, the denial of international protection is subject to full judicial review.
25.In this framework, it is also worth mentioning Decree-Law 145 of 2024, which, in the area of regular migration, provided for the creation of a new form of residence permit, the so-called permit for victims of labor exploitation and Caporalato, issued by the Questore.
26.The aforementioned Decree introduced, in the field of immigration and international protection, the obligation to cooperate with the Authorities in order to ascertain identity, by exhibiting or producing the elements in the possession of the foreigner, relating to age, identity, citizenship, as well as the country or countries in which he or she has previously stayed or transited.
27.A new case of repatriation by the Questore was also introduced, as applicable to foreigners found during border surveillance services, as referred to in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, who do not meet the requirements for entry into the territory of the State. The case under reference concerns the refusal/repatriation directly to border areas of persons, who were brought there because they were also found following search or rescue operations at sea, during surveillance activities at the external borders of the European Union. The amendment makes it clear that in such cases, too, the procedures for challenging the decision are provided for. The objective of assisted voluntary return is to assist migrants who, no longer wishing or unable to remain on Italian territory, intend, on a voluntary basis, to return to their country of origin, by implementing a pathway of socio-economic integration, supported by targeted accompaniment services. The new project, launched in January 2024, provides for the Assisted Voluntary Return with Reintegration of 2,500 third-country nationals, to be carried out over three years, starting from the beginning of activities. As of December 2024, there are 274 beneficiaries.
28.The Hotspot Centres, like the one in Lampedusa, are born to respond to first aid and assistance needs, where the migrant is taken when irregularly crossing the internal or external border or has arrived in Italy following a rescue operation at sea.
29.Photodactyloscopic and signaling operations are also carried out at these Points, as well as information on the international protection procedure, on the relocation programme and the possibility of assisted voluntary return.
30.Generally, the application of the Guidelines contained in the Vademecum on vulnerabilities adopted by the Ministry of the Interior is to be recalled.
31.The International Protection Commissions examines each case, on an individual basis, including those under accelerated procedure.
32.Regarding the services provided, at the Lampedusa Hotspot Centre in particular, the reception management is entrusted to the National Committee of the Italian Red Cross – and therefore regulated by a special Convention. Services include: healthcare support; support in identifying vulnerable people; language and cultural mediation; distribution of basic goods; restoring family links; transport service; meals; specific activities for the reception of unaccompanied minors; preparation of exit documentation and information on exit procedures. The reception at Lampedusa Hotspot is to be understood for the period strictly necessary for the preparation of transfer to other facilities.
33.Hotspots are located in: Augusta; Catania; Isola di Capo Rizzuto; Lampedusa; Messina; Pantelleria; Porto Empedocle and Pozzallo-Modica where about 130 places are for those during the accelerated border procedures; Reggio Calabria; Roccella Jonica; Taranto; Vibo Valentia.
34.In more general terms, services at the Hotspot Centres include: legal information and orientation service; psychological support service; meals; transport; laundry; personal hygiene products; first-entry kit, including clothing; and a telephone SCHEDA; pocket money in cash or in goods.
35.Italy collects data on international protection applicants’ vulnerability – reported into “Vesta.net” by registration of C3-Model-form, at Questura. In this form, there are inter alia questions that the operator addresses to the applicant, aimed at detecting vulnerabilities. Accelerated procedures do not apply to vulnerable applicants. For vulnerable applicants, the presence of possible support staff at the interview is foreseen and their applications are given priority consideration.
36.As for vulnerabilities due to pathologies, by law TCs may grant permit “for medical treatment” if the applicant, although not eligible for international protection, is in health condition resulting from particularly serious pathologies certified by public health facility and cannot be adequately treated in country of origin. TCs, through Prefectures, sign agreements with specialized Centers regarding migrants’ health, besides protocols for referral of cases requiring medical-legal investigations and interventions. If during the interview at TC, torture/ill-treatment and indicators of strong psycho-emotional suffering emerge, the interviewing officer assesses whether to propose to the applicant a meeting with dedicated psychotherapists. Protocols have also been signed by TCs and hospital’s Centers specialized in ethno-psychiatry. Likewise, collaborations have been developed with university forensic laboratories, for the medical assessment of torture or ill-treatment cases.
37.In 2023, MAECI financed UN agencies’ initiatives in main countries of origin and transit, with 33 million Euros (29 in African Continent). Activities focus on: capacity‑building of local authorities in countering human smuggling and trafficking and in controlling territory and borders; organization of assisted voluntary repatriations of migrants stranded in transit countries; promotion of alternative opportunities to migration through training and job creation; implementation of information campaigns on irregular migration’s risks; development of legal channels.
38.Projects amounting to 38 million Euros are being finalized for 2024. Migration Fund has allocated over 415 million to UN agencies since 2017; and from 2019, over 70 million, via Premium Fund.
39.Since 2015, Italy has been implementing entry channels for potential international protection beneficiaries (resettlements, humanitarian corridors and evacuations), allowing entry of about 10,000 refugees. This channel’s main feature is the direct involvement of CSOs in selecting beneficiaries and for reception process in Italy. Operations are governed by MoUs signed by MAECI, Ministry of Interior, CSOs and relevant International Organizations (e.g. IOM and UNHCR). Additional initiatives include: corridors for university students; corridors for under-age refugee students. The former was launched upon UNHCR’s initiative to reverse the marginal rate of access to university education among refugees (5%). To further develop innovative legal pathways, a complementary channel of entry into Italy was activated in 2021 with “Pagella in Tasca” project.
40.Training has always been of particular importance within the scope of OSCAD initiatives.
41.Only through careful planning of training activities is it possible to achieve more effective and widespread awareness-raising/training/updating of police personnel, which is essential in order to increase their operational response capacity, starting with the recognition of the discriminatory component of the crime (combating under-recording) and, above all, to convey, in an unequivocal manner, the message that a culture of respect for human rights and ever greater effectiveness in preventing and combating discriminatory crimes are strategic priorities for governmental action.
42.In order to ensure an up-to-date and multidisciplinary educational offering, joint action with institutional and civil society stakeholders have been established and increasingly intensified to plan and realise training activities.
43.As of 31 May 2025, a total of 12,600 people had been trained in person and online through seminars organised directly by the OSCAD Secretariat; 26,309 individuals, through personnel trained by the OSCAD Secretariat in person (training of trainers and subsequent cascade training); over 32,523 individuals through online modules created by OSCAD, for a total of over 71,432 trained operators.
44.With the aim of constantly improving the training offer, in agreement with the Schools Inspectorate, starting in 2017, a revision of study plans for the basic courses for the various roles of the State Police was agreed upon. For deputy inspector courses, with the introduction of the subject “Intercultural Pedagogy – Human Rights – Discrimination-based Crimes”, initial 6 teaching periods have been extended to 27, while for trainee officer courses, the teaching periods have been increased from 6 to 8.
45.As part of the planning of activities relating to professional development of State Police personnel for 2012 and 2017, subjects of interest to OSCAD – namely the prevention and combating of hate crimes and the role of the Observatory – in agreement with the Central Directorate for Educational Institutions, have been included among the so-called ‘topics of general interest’ for all State Police personnel. In 2021 a training day of general interest entitled “When hatred becomes a crime” was organised, during which specific OSCAD training modules were offered.
46.In addition to the 3 modules developed as part of the “Facing all the facts” project (“What is a hate crime”, “Bias Indicators” and “Vulnerable victims”), a 4th module is dedicated to discriminatory ethnic-racial profiling, whereby people belonging to ethnic or religious minorities are disproportionately subjected to checks and searches by the police, with the risk of generating mistrust, conflict and sometimes violent clashes between those communities and the police forces. In order to make training activities, both in person and online, the following have been proposed: training seminars for trainers for officers and inspectors serving in the State Police training institutes (2018 and 2023); online training prepared and updated modules on the Daitnet (for the State Police) and SISFOR (inter-force) platforms.
47.Since 2014, OSCAD has introduced a specific focus on discriminatory profiling in police activities as part of its training on hate crimes. The module aims to provide a definition of discriminatory ethnic and racial profiling, illustrating the mechanisms of profiling. Food for thought is also provided through the presentation of real-life case studies. The reasons that led the officers to engage in profiling are analysed and useful information is provided with the aim of creating awareness of the risks associated with profiling, with a focus on the civil, criminal and administrative sanctions for public officials responsible for such conduct. The online module has been made available on the SISFOR (online training system for law enforcement agencies) inter-agency platform and has been included in the professional development programme for 2021. It is currently available on the aforementioned platform for all interested law enforcement officers.
C.Information relating to paragraph 21 (d) and (e)
48.The Italian Ministry of Labour promotes programs on socio-labor inclusion of the most vulnerable. Financed by EU funds, these interventions bring together employment services, reception system and businesses, offering specialized services (orientation and employment support) and traineeship. Between 2019–2023, PUOI project, accompanied about 3,000 people towards autonomy. The Percorsi project aims at facilitating access to labor market for UAMs and young migrants by coordinating vocational training and social protection. By the former, intervention was designed to offer integrated support services, including apprenticeships, Italian language courses, job orientation. The latter is currently at its fourth edition, with about 3,000 minors and young migrants having been supported so far. Socio-labor inclusion of vulnerable migrants in reception system is also the focus of an MoU by the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of the Interior and Social Partners (employers’ associations and trade unions) in the construction sector: the goal is to offer 3,000 training courses and job placement in construction companies, nationwide. A similar MoU is being finalized with the tourism sector.
49.In this framework in December 2024 the Italian Ministry of Labour, jointly with its in-house agency Sviluppo Lavoro Italia, launched the project PUOI PLUS. This national program is addressed to promote the social and labour integration of refugees and other vulnerable migrants, such as, for example, asylum seekers, unaccompanied foreign minors, victims of trafficking, victims of gender violence, victims of labour exploitation. This comprehensive initiative engages various stakeholders, including public and private labour market entities, reception centres, and employers, to create tailored pathways towards autonomy for the target groups. Under PUOI PLUS, each beneficiary can have access to individual grants, through EU funding, to receive employment and support services. These services encompass activities like skills assessment, CV preparation, job interview training, and job search assistance. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to undertake traineeships offered by companies and employers. Building upon the successful model developed by the previous PUOI project, PUOI PLUS will ensure a continuous supply of grants. The program will also include capacity building and other actions aimed at strengthening the multilevel governance and the networks of public, private and no profit entities involved in the pathways (see: https://integrazionemigranti.gov.it/it-it/Dettaglio-progetto/id/63/PUOI-PLUS).
50.The Reception and Integration System – SAI (second level of reception) consists of the network of Local Authorities that access inter alia the National Fund for Asylum Policies and Services for the implementation of integrated reception projects, within the limits of available resources.
51.At a territorial level, the Local Authorities, with the valuable support of the third sector, guarantee integrated reception interventions which, in addition to providing board and lodging services, also provide complementary information, accompaniment, assistance and orientation measures, through the construction of individual socio-economic integration pathways.
52.The services guaranteed in the territorial projects include: linguistic and intercultural mediation; material reception; vocational training and retraining; orientation and accompaniment for work, housing and social integration, as well as legal accompaniment and psycho-socio-health protection. The SAI also provides additional specific services for unaccompanied foreign minors.
53.The monitoring activity of the SAI Central Service aims at verifying the ways in which the project-related activities are concretely implemented by the Local Authorities, to correct any critical aspects in compliance with the provisions of the Ministerial Decree on the functioning of the SAI and the relevant Ministerial Guidelines.
54.During the monitoring visit, an interview is held with the beneficiaries. As for the reception and integration system-SAI (second-level reception), as of November 2024, a total of almost 40,000 places (39,704 places) are active; and the number of admissions is over 36,000 (36,678).
55.Decree-Law 20 of 2023 (converted with amendments by Law 50 of 2023) intervened in several directions:
Re-establish a three-year planning of maximum quotas of foreigners to be admitted to the State’s territory for work purposes, increasing the numbers of entries and extending the professional categories and production sectors involved;
Strengthen the use of vocational training as a ‘premium’ entry channel for foreign workers, based on the vocational needs expressed by the Italian labor market;
Foreign workers who have attended vocational and civic-linguistic training programmes abroad approved by the Ministry of Labor may enter Italy and be hired at any time of the year, regardless of the work entry quotas authorized by the Government with the flows-Decrees. To date, 28 training projects (in various stages of progress) involving citizens from 15 non-EU countries have been approved;
Promote the use of awareness-raising campaigns in the fight against human trafficking, with the allocation of entry quotas reserved for workers from States that, in cooperation with the Italian State, promote media campaigns for their citizens on the risks to personal safety resulting from involvement in migratory smuggling.
56.The INCAS project – Action Plan to support local authorities in the context of processes of inclusion of foreign citizens and interventions to combat labour exploitation in agriculture and ‘caporalato’ (forced labour) has been now extended to all labour-related sectors.
57.Carried out by ANCI in collaboration with Cittalia and financed by the Ministry of Labor, this Project carried out the first national mapping aimed at obtaining precise information on the phenomenon of labour exploitation in agriculture in the various local contexts and carried out field activities that involved 9 local Administrations of particular interest (Albenga; Castel Volturno; Corigliano – Rossano; Lavello; Porto Recanati; Rovigo; Saluzzo; San Severo; Siracusa). These Municipalities were supported by ANCI and Cittalia and, thanks to specific processes, methods and elaboration tools, led to the development and adoption of Local Multi-sectoral Plans for the fight against labor exploitation in agriculture and against “Caporalato”, intended as concrete tools for the integrated implementation of the three-year Plan to fight labor exploitation in agriculture and Caporalato.
58.For the 2024–2025 year, this project aims to capitalize on what has been developed in the previous two-year period in terms of both methodology and content, through two specific activities: 1. the further development of data survey and collection activities, broadening their reference horizon; 2. the sharing of the skills necessary for the implementation of Local Multi-sectoral Plans for combating labor exploitation in agriculture and the Caporalato (forced labor) trade, through the development of specific training activities.