GBV Associate At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Italy remains one of the major points of arrival for persons of concern seeking protection to Europe, with most of them arriving by sea via the Mediterranean. As of 22 October 2023, there have been 140,856 sea arrivals since the beginning of the year, an 83% increase compared to the same period last year.

The political and institutional stalemate in Libya and growing instability in Tunisia, the two main countries of sea departures along the Central Mediterranean route, highly impacted mixed movements towards Italy. The developments in Tunisia in 2023 meant that the country replaced Libya as the primary country of departure for persons arriving in Italy. Total arrivals from Tunisia between January and July 2023 increased five-fold, while arrivals from Libya increased by 32% compared to the same period last year, more precisely 52% of sea crossings to Italy during that period departed from Tunisia (34,321 persons; 979 disembarkations), followed by 43% from Libya (27,900 persons; 227 disembarkations).

Based upon current arrival trends, it is anticipated that in 2023 Italy will continue to receive a large portion of asylum-seekers arriving in Europe by sea and expects an increase of entries into the territory through land and air.

In 2022, the population UNHCR served in Italy increased considerably, mainly due to the war in Ukraine. By 16 February 2023, 173,645 Ukrainians had arrived in Italy. Most of them were women (92,353) and children (49,444) thus changing the composition of persons we serve (PwS), presenting other risks, needs, and capacities.

In Italy, UNHCR works with the Italian government, other organizations, the host community and refugees themselves to uphold the basic human rights of people forced to flee and stateless persons, and to improve laws and national systems so that refugees and stateless persons stay safe, enjoy fundamental rights such as those of receiving documentation, education, work and other socio-economic rights. Through its staff and partners, UNHCR engages in activities aimed at ensuring protection to Persons with Specific Needs (PwSN), addressing protection risks through the Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach, with a particular focus on persons with specific needs, such as unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). UNHCR’s delivery of protection activities is based on a community-based protection (CBP) and rights-based (RBA) approach, which aims to put PwSN at the center of all decisions affecting their lives. Based on this approach, UNHCR promotes active refugee participation in all aspects of its programme cycle, develops protection strategies and solutions in partnership with them and supports the community’s own goals, also through the effective engagement and communication with communities.

UNHCR staff perform a variety of tasks country-wide, including: providing newly arrived persons with information on international protection, monitoring land border procedures and their potential impact on access to asylum and other relevant procedures, and supporting the authorities with the identification of persons with specific needs; working with authorities, partners and refugee communities and organizations to identify persons with additional protection needs, such as UASC, survivors of GBV and other persons at risk, so they may promptly be referred to appropriate services; monitoring reception conditions, and providing support to the National (and local) Commission for the Right to Asylum, including on the reform of the RSD procedure.

UNHCR also seeks to help refugees thrive in Italy and fully contribute to the economic, cultural and social life of the country, by providing support to the implementation of the Government’s national integration plan, as well as relevant guidelines on vulnerabilities, provision of information and counselling on rights, entitlements and obligations, promotion of communication tools and engagement with the private sector to promote refugees’ employment, and by working with relevant authorities and Italian universities to promote access to education at all levels. Furthermore, the agency engages on GBV and child protection and other specific needs responses through dedicated and specialized programs.