VULNER POLICY BRIEF: ITALY

EU law requires that the special reception needs of vulnerable asylum seekers be identified and addressed, and that special procedural guarantees be provided. Similarly, the UN Global Compacts for Migration and on Refugees require states to develop their migration and asylum policies in ways that consider the vulnerabilities that migrants and refugees may be facing. To this end, the Italian team of the VULNER project studied how vulnerable asylum seekers (and other vulnerable migrants) are identified, and how their special reception and procedural needs are assessed and addressed by the Italian asylum authorities. They examined legislation, case law, policy documents and administrative guidelines. They conducted 44 interviews with members of international organizations, civil servants and judges in Italy. This Policy Brief explores the findings of this research, highlighting the challenges and the shortcomings observed in Italy, as well as proposing concrete policy recommendations.