Afghan Asylum Seekers in Italy Face Homelessness and Legal Barriers

DID Press: Afghan asylum seekers in Italy face homelessness, labour exploitation and legal obstacles despite high asylum recognition rates, according to an investigative report by the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN). The report says Italy is not the final destination for many Afghans but rather a transit point on their way to countries in northern Europe.

According to the report, hundreds of asylum seekers in the border city of Trieste spend weeks or months living on the streets or in the abandoned Silos warehouse because of a shortage of state-run reception facilities. They rely on volunteer organisations for food and medical care.

Limited access to the formal labour market has also pushed many asylum seekers into informal work in agriculture, construction and tourism. Such jobs are often carried out without contracts or insurance and for very low wages.

Family reunification is another major challenge. The closure of Italy’s embassy in Kabul and the high cost of travelling to Italian diplomatic missions in Islamabad or Tehran have made the process more difficult for Afghan families.

The report also describes tighter handling of asylum applications in Trieste beginning in May–June 2026, a process that faced intervention by civil courts and orders to return to normal procedures.

According to the report, new asylum applications from Afghans in Italy increased by 77% in the first half of this year. Nearly 30,000 Afghans have travelled through the Balkan route to Trieste over the past five years, it adds.

The report concludes that changes in Italy’s migration policies, combined with difficulties in securing housing, employment and family reunification, have made the prospects for Afghan asylum seekers’ integration increasingly uncertain.