UNHCR Italy Factsheet, February 2026

taly has been party to the 1951 Refugee Convention since 1954. The same year, UNHCR established a country office in Italy, which became a multi-country office in 2020, covering Italy, the Holy See and San Marino and Malta since 2026. UNHCR supports Italy in strengthening its asylum system, including through assistance in the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, to ensure compliance with international standards. UNHCR advances safe and legal pathways for refugees through labour, education and humanitarian corridors, evacuations, and resettlement, partnering with government, civil society, and the private sector as part of Italy's external dimension agenda. HIGHLIGHTS ARRIVALS BY LAND AND SEA In 2025, Italy remained the primary destination for sea arrivals in Southern Europe, accounting for 46 per cent (66,316 people) of the total, with nearly 90 per cent of sea crossings originating from Libya, followed by Tunisia, Algeria, and Türkiye. Around 6,500 people were intercepted at the north-eastern land border with Slovenia —similarly to 2024—although UNHCR estimates that many more crossings went undetected. CITY-TO-CITY EVENT On 19 and 20 November 2025, the third edition of the Cityto-City event was held in Naples, bringing together municipalities signatory to the Charter for the Integration of Refugees and attended by fifty representatives from municipal administrations, civil registry offices, the National Association of Italian Municipalities, and private sector. The event strengthened collaboration on refugee inclusion through thematic roundtables on documentation, residence registration, housing and data collection, with municipalities reaffirming their commitment to advancing solutions and sharing best practices to enhance integration efforts.