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Italy Advances Tougher Measures on Migrant Arrivals

ILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a bilateral meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance (not pictured), during his visit to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 6, 2026.  Italy’s government has approved a new migration bill that would grant authorities the power to impose temporary naval blockades during periods of intense pressure on the country’s borders. The proposal, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is designed to curb irregular sea crossings by restricting access to Italian territorial waters. The draft law would allow officials to bar vessels from entering for up to 30 days, with the option to extend the measure to six months if national security or public order is deemed at risk. The plan also strengthens border surveillance, increases penalties for human smuggling, and expands the list of offenses that can lead to deportation. Supporters argue the move is necessary to manage migration flows more effectively, whi...

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Canada Pauses Private Refugee Sponsorship Applications Until 2026


The Canadian government has announced a temporary pause on private refugee sponsorship applications from groups of five or more people and community organizations. This measure, effective immediately, will last until December 31, 2025. The decision aims to address the growing backlog of applications and improve processing times for both refugees and sponsors.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated that the number of applications received annually far exceeds the available spaces for private refugee sponsorships. The government has set a target of admitting 23,000 privately sponsored refugees in its 2025-27 immigration plan, while the total refugee target for next year is just over 58,000 people. As of the end of October, there are over 85,000 pending refugee claims.

IRCC recognizes that this measure will impact the refugee sponsorship community and has pledged to work closely with partners and stakeholders to adjust to these changes and explore long-term improvements to the program. The pause will allow the system to catch up with the existing workload and ensure a more efficient and predictable refugee sponsorship process in the future.

For more information, visit the [IRCC website](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/temporary-pause-intake-refugee-sponsorship-applications-groups-five-community-sponsors.html).







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