Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sharply criticized a series of judicial rulings that she said are obstructing her government’s efforts to combat illegal immigration, calling the decisions “objectively absurd” and questioning whether some magistrates are undermining enforcement of the law.
Una decisione che lascia senza parole. Ascoltate bene cosa è successo pic.twitter.com/THsV8vGI9L
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) February 18, 2026
“So, an illegal Algerian citizen in Italy who has 23 convictions, including assault for kicking and punching a woman, cannot be held in a CPR nor be transferred to a center in Albania for repatriation. For him, some judges have even ruled not only that there will be no expulsion, but that the Ministry of the Interior will have to compensate him €700 for attempting to enforce an expulsion order. Now I think it’s legitimate to ask how we can seriously combat illegal immigration if those who repeatedly break the law remain on our soil and the state is even sanctioned for trying to enforce the rules. This despite the government’s determination to continue to work to strengthen its powers, to make the tools for combating regular immigration more effective, to guarantee security and legality for citizens, including through the initiatives that Italy is pursuing in Europe for faster procedures and effective repatriations. Italians voted for the center-right also for this reason, to reestablish clear rules and enforce them and the government is doing so with determination, despite a politicized section of the judiciary continuing to obstruct any action aimed at combating illegal immigration mass immigration. Because welcoming those who have the right is a duty, respecting Italian laws is indispensable, and anyone who doesn’t intend to do so is not welcome in Italy.”
In a video statement, Meloni first pointed to a recent ruling ordering the Interior Ministry to compensate an Algerian citizen with 23 convictions after authorities attempted to transfer him to a repatriation center in Albania. According to Meloni, judges not only blocked the expulsion but required the state to pay €700 in damages.
“Just yesterday I commented on the surreal decision by the judiciary to order the Ministry of the Interior to compensate with Italian money an illegal immigrant with 23 convictions behind whom the state had had the daringness to transfer to the CPR in Albania for deportation,” Meloni said. She described the ruling as “shameful news,” adding that it was overshadowed by another decision issued the following day.
“Now I think it’s legitimate to ask how we can seriously combat illegal immigration if those who repeatedly break the law remain on our soil and the state is even sanctioned for trying to enforce the rules,” she said.
The prime minister referenced the 2019 case involving German activist Carola Rackete, who commanded a migrant rescue vessel that forced entry into the port of Lampedusa and collided with a patrol boat operated by the Guardia di Finanza. Rackete was later acquitted by Italian judges. Meloni noted that a court has now ordered the Italian state to compensate the nongovernmental organization that owned the ship with €76,000, after authorities had detained and seized the vessel following the incident.
“Not only was Rackete acquitted at the time because according to some magistrates it was permitted to force a police blockade in the name of illegal immigration mass,” Meloni said. “But today the judges have made another decision that leaves literally speechless. They have ordered the Italian state to compensate €76,000, again from Italians, the NGO owner of the ship captained by Rackete because after the ramming by our soldiers, the vessel had been rightfully detained and placed under seizure.” She questioned whether magistrates are meant to enforce the law “or to reward those who boast of breaking the law,” and asked what message is being sent “with this long series of objectively absurd decisions that the government is not allowed to try to counteract mass illegal immigration.”
Her comments follow the approval by the government of a 17-article immigration bill aimed at strengthening maritime enforcement and expulsion procedures. The proposed legislation would grant the Italian Navy authority to block vessels carrying migrants during periods defined as exceptional pressure, introduce fines and vessel confiscations for violations, and allow intercepted migrants to be redirected to third countries that have reception agreements with Italy. The bill also tightens eligibility criteria for special protection status and expands judicial authority to expel foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes or involved in unrest inside detention centers.
Meloni has also linked Italy’s migration policies to broader European and African engagement, arguing that irregular migration should be addressed both through border controls and development partnerships. The renewed debate comes as Italy continues to face arrivals along central Mediterranean routes. According to Interior Ministry figures, more than 63,000 migrants had reached Italian shores by sea through early December, with nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea and Pakistan among the largest groups.
Despite the judicial setbacks she described, Meloni said her government would remain committed to its agenda. “We are particularly stubborn and we will continue and do our best to respect the word we have given to the Italians and to enforce the rules and laws of the Italian State, and we will do everything necessary to defend, in particular, the borders and the safety of citizens.”
