Migrants, Piantedosi: "We are saddened by the Lampedusa tragedy. We must halt departures to prevent shipwrecks."

"Only by completely blocking irregular departures will we be able to eliminate migrant shipwrecks," Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said, commenting on the security data released by the Ministry of the Interior . "The government is working very aggressively, even at the international level, to combat human trafficking," the minister added, explaining that the latest "tragedy" in Lampedusa, "precisely because of the pain it causes, spurs us to continue our efforts to prevent these sea journeys, starting in the areas of departure. It is our duty to continue to relentlessly fight the ruthless profiteering of human traffickers."

Piantedosi recalls that " in the first 15 days of August, approximately 2,000 irregular immigrants landed on Italian coasts . This is still a high number, but in the same period in 2024, there were 4,339, and in 2023, there were 12,070. This figure confirms the trend already recorded in July: landings this year are plummeting precisely in the summer months, when the weather is more favorable for sea crossings. In fact, since we've been in office, the number of landings has dropped dramatically."

" This year, as in 2024, there has been a 60% decrease compared to 2023," he added. "And we are confident we can do even better . Thanks to the agreements with Libya and Tunisia, over 236,000 departures have been blocked since 2023, and thanks to assisted voluntary repatriations, over 64,000 economic migrants have returned to their countries of origin in the same period."

"In 2024 alone, we repatriated 5,400 irregular migrants, a figure that is up from 2023," he continues. "In the first seven months of this year, the increase continues: we are 12% higher than last year's already strong figures . We are working on this front and will continue to do so because we believe that the principle that entry into Italy is only possible through regular channels must be reaffirmed once and for all."

Data from the Ministry of the Interior

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 38,568 migrants arrived in Italy by sea between January 1 and August 14, a 2.1% increase compared to the same period last year. In three years, 236,231 migrant departures were blocked from Libya and Tunisia (93,511 in 2023, 102,704 in 2024), while since the beginning of the year, 40,016 have occurred (26,773 from Tunisia and 13,243 from Libya). Repatriations increased by 12.1% (3,463), while 18,132 voluntary repatriations were assisted (9,241 to Libya, 4,426 to Tunisia, 4,465 to Algeria). Over one million people and 495,082 vehicles were checked at the border with Slovenia: 7,835 illegal immigrants were found entering the country, and 413 were arrested, 202 of whom were for aiding and abetting illegal immigration.

Regarding regular entry channels: the flows decree has provided for 181,450 quotas in 2025 for the entry of non-EU workers, 497,550 quotas in total for the three-year period 2026-2028.

Regarding international protection , asylum applications received since the beginning of the year have decreased by 22%, to 77,081. A total of 60,075 applications were examined (+28.6%), 3,159 (5.3%) for refugee status, 5.7% less than last year, and 6,731 for subsidiary protection (11.2%), an increase of 16.7%. Total denials, however, increased by 58%.

Security: Interior Ministry reports 9% decrease in crime since the beginning of the year - From January 1st to July 31st of this year, crimes committed in our country decreased by 9% compared to the same period last year. This is one of the data emerging from the "Viminale Dossier" released by the Ministry of the Interior to coincide with the National Committee for Public Order and Security on August 15th. Specifically, sexual assaults decreased by 17.3% (from 4,202 last year to 3,477 this year), thefts by 7.7% (from 605,968 to 559,143), and robberies by 6.7% (from 16,914 to 15,780), while homicides increased by 3.4% (from 178 to 184). Overall, in the first seven months of 2025, 461,495 people were reported, 8% fewer than in the same period last year, of whom 91,975 were under arrest (-7.2%).

Drugs: Interior Ministry reports 29.2 tons seized in seven months (+12%) - Between January 1 and July 31 of this year, 29.2 tons of narcotics were seized in Italy, 12% more than in the same period last year. This is according to the Interior Ministry's traditional mid-August "Dossier." Anti-drug operations completed in the first seven months of 2025 totaled 11,434 (-8.9% compared to last year), 64 of which were internationally projected (+6.7%). The number of people reported decreased by 14.6% (from 16,946 last year to 14,466 this year) and the number of arrests decreased by 11.6% (from 11,245 to 9,944).

Road accidents: Ministry of the Interior, 4.4% fewer fatalities this year - Between January 1 and July 31 of this year, the Highway Police and Carabinieri recorded 41,315 accidents (2.1% fewer than the same period last year), of which 658 resulted in deaths (-4.4%); 710 people died (-6.7%) and 23,697 were injured (-4.1%). These are some of the data contained in the traditional "Miminale Dossier" published in mid-August.

Terrorism: 20 extremists arrested in seven months (6 minors) - From October 22, 2022, to July 31, 203 people were expelled and repatriated for national security reasons: "radicalized individuals, extremists, and suspected terrorists identified following careful monitoring by law enforcement and the intelligence community." This is according to the "Viminale Dossier" edited by the Ministry of the Interior. Specifically, in the first seven months of 2025, 20 extremists were arrested (compared to 13 last year), including 6 minors (double the number of 2024). The number of monitored "foreign fighters" included in the list of the Strategic Anti-Terrorism Analysis Committee is 154, a 3.4% increase.

Security: Interior Ministry reports critical incidents in 2.6% of demonstrations in 2025 - In the first seven months of this year, 7,294 street demonstrations were held in Italy, 11.1% fewer than the same period last year: 2,229 were union/employment-related (-28%) and 1,289 in support of peace (-4%). This is according to the usual "Interior Ministry Dossier" published in mid-August. Critical incidents were reported in only 190 cases (2.6% of the total and 19.5% fewer than in the same period in 2024); 95 police officers were injured, 35.4% fewer than last year.

Cybersecurity: Interior Ministry, 21.7% fewer attacks since January - In the first seven months of 2025, 5,685 cyber attacks were detected against critical infrastructure in Italy, a 21.7% decrease from the 7,263 reported in the same period last year; 72 individuals were investigated, a 34% decrease. This is according to the chapter on IT and cybersecurity in the "Viminale Dossier" released by the Ministry of the Interior. Between January and July of this year, 125 counterterrorism operations were carried out (+56.3%) with 40 people under investigation (+90.5%) and 17,624 were for child pornography, computer fraud, and online scams (-3.4%) with 3,608 people under investigation (+4.8%).

THE VIDEO WITH THE WORDS OF MINISTER PIANTEDOSI