Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
A total of 164,850 people will be admitted next year, with the goal of reaching a cumulative 497,550 new entries by 2028.
It is the second such move Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made since she took office nearly three years ago as the head of a right-wing coalition. The government had already decided to issue more than 450,000 permits to migrants between 2023 and 2025.
While easing legal entry for foreign workers, Prime Minister Meloni has maintained a tough stance on irregular migration, accelerating deportations and limiting the activities of humanitarian organizations in the Mediterranean.
"The quotas were determined taking into account the needs expressed by the social partners and the actual applications for work permits submitted in previous years, with the aim of a programme that responds to the needs of businesses and is also realistic," the statement said.
An ageing population and a sagging birthrate highlight the need to attract foreign workers in the euro zone's third largest economy. There were some 281,000 more deaths than births in 2024 and the population fell by 37,000 to 58.93 million, continuing a decade-long trend.
Italy is already the country with the highest share of old people in Europe. At the same time, the very low number of new births means that, despite an always-increasing life expectancy, the Italian population is declining.
The birth rate in Italy has constantly dropped in the last years. In 2023, 6.4 children were born per 1,000 inhabitants, three babies less than in 2002. Consequently, the population in Italy has aged over the last decade. Between 2002 and 2024, the age distribution of the Italian population showed a growing share of people aged 65 years and older. As a result, the share of young people decreased.
Statista's projections suggest that by 2050, Italy could have five million fewer inhabitants.
Similarly, the population in Europe is estimated to decrease in the coming years. In 2024, there were 740 million people living in Europe. In 2100, the figure is expected to drop to 586 million inhabitants.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, S...
The 25th World Petroleum Council (WPC) Energy Congress began in Riyadh on Sunday (11 October), running from 11 to 15 October under the theme &ldquo...
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow also halts strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
Artificial intelligence investment is helping sustain global growth at around 3 per cent, with Asia poised to reap major benefits. But soaring energy costs, unequal investment and growing pressure on young workers threaten to leave some economies behind.
Uzbekistan and Russia have a portfolio of more than 200 joint projects worth almost $6 billion, as the two countries continue to expand regional and business ties. The projects were discussed during the third meeting of the Council of Regions of Russia and Uzbekistan, held in Fergana, Uzbekistan.
In the marshlands of Malluba in southern Azerbaijan, Kamil Mammadov follows a routine that has been passed down through generations. His family has worked with medicinal leeches for centuries, harvesting and breeding a species known as Hirudo orientalis, or the Caucasian medicinal leech.
Baku is hosting the second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum (AIIF 2026) and it’s attracting more interest this year, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister told AnewZ. “The agenda is very impressive. More guests, more interest,” he said.
Warren Buffett has stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, marking the end of one of the most influential leadership tenures in corporate history and completing a succession process that has been years in the making.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment