Italy still blocking asylum returns, EU warns Schengen at risk
Italy is still refusing to accept the return of asylum seekers from other EU member states, including Germany, despite being the first point of entry into Europe, according to a European Commission document released on Friday. The document notes that transfer requests were still being rejected as of the end of September. The Commission said that “based on the information provided by the member states between 12 June and 30 September 2026, transfers requested by other member states continued to be rejected by the Italian authorities.” It added that in some cases, Italy returned people to the transferring member state even though Italy had been determined responsible.
Although Italy resumed transfers as of 29 October, the Commission could not confirm that anyone had actually departed. The dispute raises fears of a politically explosive scenario in which asylum seekers fan out across Europe, prompting knee-jerk border controls within the Schengen area. This echoes a summer incident when Italy imposed controls on Spain over fears of arrivals from Ceuta.
