Many refugees in Italy are located in the southern regions, particularly the islands and coastal areas, although many others are also spread across urban centers. While some refugees live in formal reception centers, the Italian system frequently relies on temporary facilities. Italy has faced challenges in ensuring the effective registration of asylum seekers, with the increased number of arrivals resulting in a backlog of applications. The country’s asylum procedures remain under pressure, and efforts are underway to streamline the process, improve efficiency, and ensure that individuals with specific protection needs, such as women and children, are properly identified and supported.

Italy ratified the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons in 1962, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2015. Although Italy has established statelessness determination procedures, challenges remain with the identification of stateless persons, including lengthy processes, absence of safeguards and protection against expulsion during the procedures, and issues related to the burden and standard of proof. Moreover, stateless children born in Italy to stateless parents, especially among the Roma population, still encounter several difficulties accessing Italian nationality at birth.