Thousands rally in Rome as Italys right-wing intensifies 'remigration' push

Thousands rally in Rome as Italy’s rightward shift fuels ‘remigration’ push

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through central Rome on Sunday, waving banners emblazoned with the words “Remigration and reclaiming by Rome,” as Italy’s political right intensified pressure for accelerated deportations of undocumented migrants. Organisers said 3,000 people joined the protest, which unfolded metres from the Colosseum, while a parallel event in Milan drew an estimated 1,500 supporters of the same cause. The rallies capped a week in which the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni faced fresh criticism for failing to meet campaign pledges on “remigration,” a term now central to Italy’s immigration debate.

The demonstrations followed the launch of a new right-wing movement by retired army general Roberto Vannacci, whose party, “Italy to the Italians,” held its inaugural congress in Rome on Saturday. Vannacci, a vocal advocate of mass deportations, accused Meloni’s Brothers of Italy of timidity on migration, telling delegates that “the homeland must be reclaimed.” His remarks echoed the rhetoric of the Rome protest, where organisers chanted slogans calling for the immediate expulsion of all irregular migrants.

The protests coincide with mounting evidence that Italy’s asylum and deportation system remains overwhelmed. Interior Ministry data released last month show that only 12 per cent of the 147,000 deportation orders issued in 2025 were executed, down from 18 per cent in 2024. Critics argue that the shortfall reflects both legal obstacles and a lack of bilateral agreements with countries of origin. “The government talks tough, but the system is broken,” said Claudia De Conto, a migration researcher at Rome’s Luiss University. “Without enforceable repatriation agreements, ‘remigration’ is just a slogan.”

The political pressure comes as Italy grapples with a 14 per cent rise in irregular arrivals this year compared with 2025, according to the interior ministry’s latest operational report. Arrivals via the Mediterranean route reached 42,000 in the first five months of 2026, up from 37,000 in the same period last year. Meanwhile, the health system faces its own migration-related strain: a study by the advocacy group Obiezione Respinta found that foreign women in Italy encounter “systematic barriers” to accessing abortion, with wait times for non-Italian patients averaging 18 days compared with 10 days for Italian citizens. “The national health service is failing to guarantee timely, safe and free abortion care, especially for migrants,” the report concluded .

Against this backdrop, the government has signalled it will unveil a new “remigration decree” within weeks, aiming to fast-track deportations and expand detention capacity. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told reporters on Friday that the measures would “restore credibility to Italy’s border policy.” Yet analysts warn that without robust EU support and enforceable repatriation accords, the plan risks repeating the failures of past initiatives. “Deportation targets are easy to set; meeting them is another matter,” said migration policy expert Matteo Villa. “Italy’s partners in the EU are watching closely, but so far the response has been lukewarm.”