Meloni: Illegal Migration Provides 'Fertile Ground' for Crime

Premier Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that illegal migration creates “fertile ground” for crime, following news of a major corruption probe in Salerno involving residence permits.

“The investigation by the Salerno DDA (anti-mafia investigators), which has led to 36 people being investigated and uncovered over 2,000 false applications for residence permits, once again confirms what the government has denounced: the management of migratory flows has been fertile ground for unscrupulous criminals for years,” Meloni stated on social media.

“There was a system that profited from immigration, exploiting foreign citizens willing to pay for a residence permit and generating illegal earnings worth millions of euros. It is no coincidence that we have decided to strengthen controls to prevent legal entry quotas from ending up in the hands of those who exploit immigration for business.

“And it is no coincidence that I have submitted a complaint to the (national) Anti-Mafia prosecutor’s department to shed light on the many anomalies in this system. Immigration cannot be left at the mercy of crime.

“We will continue working to restore serious rules and legality.”

Meanwhile, the opposition centre-left Democratic Party (PD) announced on Monday that it has suspended its treasurer in Campania. Nicola Salvati is under house arrest in connection with the investigation.

Illegal migration landings up in January

The UNHCR reported that 3,479 migrants landed on Italy’s coasts in January, marking a 13% rise from the 3,080 arrivals recorded in December and a 54% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

According to the agency, around 99% of migrants who arrived last month via sea embarked from Libya, with approximately 83% landing on Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island.

The main countries of origin were: