Italy’s governing coalition has drawn sharp criticism from the country’s legal community over a proposed “repatriation bonus” that would pay immigration lawyers €615 for each irregular migrant they convince to leave voluntarily. The amendment, added late to a broader security bill approved by the Senate last Friday, is expected to be considered by the lower house this week.

The measure, introduced by members of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition—including her Brothers of Italy party along with the League and Forza Italia—is part of a wider set of controversial provisions in the security decree. These include authorizing authorities to impose 12-hour “preventive detention” before protest marches on individuals considered dangerous and offering initial immunity for police officers accused of violence while performing their duties.

The repatriation bonus specifically targets lawyers funded through the state’s legal aid system, which provides free legal assistance to migrants. Under the proposal, these lawyers would receive payment only if they succeed in persuading irregular migrants to depart voluntarily. The plan has sparked strong opposition from legal associations and practitioners who argue it threatens professional ethics and constitutional guarantees.

The Union of Defence Lawyers described the proposal as incompatible with the constitution and legal ethics, emphasizing that lawyers must represent clients with full independence and are not meant to act as agents of state policy. “The lawyer cannot be paid to obtain the outcome desired by the state,” the group said in a statement, warning that the scheme undermines the principle of autonomous defense and reduces legal counsel to instruments of government immigration policy.

Dario Belluccio, part of the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration, characterized the bonus as “dangerous” and unjust, as lawyers would only be compensated upon achieving migrant repatriation. He stressed that legal representation should be free from government influence and solely focused on protecting the individual’s rights.

The National Association of Magistrates also expressed concern that remunerating lawyers based on specific outcomes would threaten the integrity of judicial protections available to asylum seekers and those involved in complex immigration cases.

In addition, the security decree contains a separate provision complicating migrants’ access to free legal aid when contesting expulsion orders issued by the Italian government, a move equally condemned by the legal community.

The debate comes amid a notable decline in irregular migrant arrivals by sea, with around 7,300 recorded so far this year, down from over 12,000 in the same period last year. The repatriation incentive plan marks the latest flashpoint in ongoing tensions between Meloni’s government and the Italian judiciary over migration enforcement.