Meloni Slams Migration at AU, As Italy Quietly Opens Doors to Half a Million Workers
At the African Union summit in Addis Ababa on February 13, 2026, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered a fiery warning on migration even as Italy faces a looming labour crisis at home.
Addressing leaders at the African Union, Meloni declared that those who claim migration is “necessary and indispensable” are acting selfishly. If Africa’s young people leave, she asked, what becomes of their nations’ history, culture and very existence?
Yet back in Rome, a different story is unfolding. Italy has approved nearly 498,000 non-EU work visas between 2026 and 2028 under its Flow Decree, scrambling to plug labour shortages.
Long-term projections suggest the country could need up to 280,000 foreign workers a year as its workforce shrinks l, with the OECD warning of a 34% drop in working-age citizens by 2060.
Tough talk abroad. Open doors at home. Italy’s migration paradox is on full display.