The flow decree addresses Italy’s labor shortages while maintaining control over immigration flows. The quotas are calibrated to reflect employer demand and economic needs, as well as ensure legal pathways for essential seasonal and non-seasonal workers. Meanwhile, the decree will tackle illegal migration by offering countries that co-operate preferential treatment for their citizens.
Meloni’s new immigration law is a carbon copy of the government’s previous flow decree and will fundamentally fail. Like the legislation before it, the government’s latest plan will not remedy Italy’s structural demand for labor and will instead only create more irregular workers. The government must instead prioritize reforming the current dysfunctional system from top to bottom.