Italian Voter Sentiment on Illegal Immigration
More than 70% of voters in Italy think that illegal immigrants should be deported back to their countries of origin, signaling a growing pro-border sentiment in Europe.
A survey by Euromedia Research revealed that 73% of Italians support the removal of illegal immigrants. Additionally, 57% of respondents perceive illegal immigration negatively, while just 14% view it positively.
According to comments reported by Il Giornale, Euromedia’s director, Alessandra Ghisleri, noted that there is widespread agreement across political parties that illegal immigration must be controlled, including among a notable number of centre-left voters.
The poll also indicated that nearly 80% of Italians deem stability in the Mediterranean essential for Italy’s economic and security future. Of those surveyed, 34% believe that managing maritime migration is the most urgent issue and poses the greatest risk to regional stability.
“When you look at the combination of migration flows and conflicts, it’s clear that while concerns about energy are important, Italians are primarily focused on the security of both the Mediterranean and the Middle East,” Ghisleri noted.
Italy, much like other Mediterranean nations, has witnessed a surge in migrants departing from North African countries, particularly Libya, where human smuggling operations thrive. Migrants are often only given enough fuel to make it halfway to Europe, knowing that ships from open border NGOs will come to their aid.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made some progress in reducing the flow of illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean during her initial term by forming agreements at the EU level with both Libya and Tunisia, and by cracking down on smuggling operations. However, while deportation efforts are outpacing arrivals, the situation remains complex, with ongoing efforts needed to match the decrease in migrant arrivals.
Under Meloni’s administration, the statistics show an improvement—arrivals have nearly halved while departures have almost doubled—but there remains significant room for political pressure from the right. This has led to the creation of a new party, National Future, founded by a retired army general and former members of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s party.
The new party has called for a focus on immigration and encourages Italian families to have more children. Despite this focus, the party has only advocated for the removal of illegal immigrants and those unable to integrate into Italian society. A Euromedia Research poll indicated that this stance is only supported by about 36.8% of voters, with a larger number disapproving or calling it unrealistic.
Nonetheless, Vanacci’s party is gaining momentum in the polls, positioning itself with around 6% of the vote, surpassing Salvini’s coalition at 5.6%. This rise could potentially split the right-wing vote in the upcoming elections, compelling Meloni to negotiate with Vanacci to maintain her political strength.
Meloni appears intent on establishing a third-party deportation center to bolster her stance on immigration. This initiative, which was supported by the government and recently approved by the European Union, aims to curb illegal immigration by sending migrants to countries outside the EU, such as Albania.
