Italy is once more witnessing an increase in the number of migrants irregularly arriving across the Central Mediterranean, while migration and asylum have made their return to the European agenda as central issues. Italy’s position on the migration dossier largely continues to be defined by key priorities such as the stemming of irregular crossings across the Mediterranean Sea, deepening cooperation with those member states similarly located at the EU’s external maritime borders at the Mediterranean, and requesting greater solidarity from other EU member states.

In 2024, Italy will hold the rotating Presidency of the G7. Faced with a fraught geopolitical environment and persistent crises whose intensity does not seem to decrease, how will the seven largest democracies agree to respond with effective actions? And how will Italy steer the agenda setting in these challenging times?