At the geographic centre of the Mediterranean, Italy has been a key voice in the establishment of refugee rights and recognition in international humanitarian law. In recent years, Italy has been confronted with reception challenges as the European country with the most migrant arrivals from the Mediterranean.

Since 2015, Italy has accepted over 500,000 asylum seekers, many of whom have been unaccompanied children. Capacity has been inching closer to its limits, as many arrivals continue as undocumented and the result of trafficking.