Italy Rushes Through Fix to Controversial Migrant Repatriation Bonus After Constitutional Backlash

Italy’s government has pushed through an urgent decree to amend a highly controversial scheme that offered financial rewards to lawyers involved in migrant repatriation cases a measure that had drawn fierce criticism from opposition parties and triggered constitutional concerns.

The original plan, part of a broader security package that parliament needed to approve by April 25 to prevent it from expiring, would have paid lawyers only if a migrant’s voluntary repatriation was successfully completed. Around €1.2 billion had been earmarked for the bonuses through 2028.

But the proposal quickly ran into trouble. President Sergio Mattarella, who has the authority to refuse legislation on constitutional grounds, expressed reservations, while legal associations warned the measure risked turning defence lawyers into instruments of government migration policy. Opposition lawmakers denounced the scheme as unethical and potentially unconstitutional.

To avoid derailing the entire security package, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni allowed parliament to approve the original text unchanged then immediately passed a separate decree introducing the necessary amendments. “We would have preferred to make corrections during the process, but that would have caused the decree to lapse and created some problems,” Meloni told reporters.

Under the revised rules, payments of roughly €615 will now go not only to lawyers but also to other professionals assisting migrants, and crucially, the bonuses will be paid even if repatriation is not completed. This shift aims to address concerns that the original scheme created perverse incentives tied directly to deportation outcomes.

Opposition figures, however, remain sharply critical. Nicola Fratoianni of the Green‑Left Alliance said the government had allowed parliament to vote on a decree containing an unconstitutional provision, calling it “a very serious matter for the quality of parliamentary work” and for Italian democracy.

The controversy has sparked a broader debate over Italy’s migration policies and the ethical boundaries of incentivising legal professionals in repatriation cases an issue likely to remain politically charged as the government continues tightening its immigration framework.