Italy must revise its migration policy and implement more incisive actions to counter discrimination and violence against women and girls, according to a message from Dunja Mijatovic, the human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe. Mijatovic conveyed this message along with a report on her visit to Italy in June. She also praised Italian institutions, however.

The government in Rome, which received the report before its publication, has sent 10 pages to Strasbourg of comments in which it disputes some parts of the report. The government, particularly critical of the choice of terms and statements related to gender equality and the perceived "criminalization" of NGO activities, expressed its objections.

Strasbourg's requests and Rome's protests

Mijatovic's report initially called on the Italian government to enhance search and rescue capabilities for timely assistance to those in distress at sea, including refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants.

The commissioner also asked the authorities to stop "criminalizing" NGOs by repealing some policies and putting an end to practices that hinder their search and rescue operations.

The Italian government responded to this criticism by contesting the use of the word "criminalization" and saying that the word and the description of the policy it comes from reflect a journalistic sort of language and subjective opinions that should be mitigated especially in light of the context in which they are used.

The report also advocated for the suspension of cooperation with Libya for repatriations due to severe human rights violations and criticized Italy's collaboration with Tunisia. Rome responded by saying that this cooperation is based on the work of the UN and linked organizations and that it is essential to dismantle migrant trafficking networks.

Back and forth on lack of equal rights in Italy

A major point of contention arose regarding the commissioner's assertion that inequality between men and women is deeply ingrained in Italian society. Italy strongly objected to this claim, citing the presence of women in high-ranking positions, including the prime minister, the president of the Constitutional Court (until recently), the head of the Court of Cassation, and leaders of various state agencies. The government pointed out that more than half of the country's magistrates are women, and women constitute a significant portion of the national "elite."

On the issue of actions to help women and girls, the commissioner sent several recommendations to Italy including suggested actions to ensure their right to healthcare and to remove barriers to the labor market as well as to reduce the wage gap between men and women.