The Right to Asylum, as described in the Charter of Palermo, affirms that people fleeing persecution, conflict, or serious threats to their safety must have access to protection regardless of nationality or migration status. The Charter stresses that those seeking protection must be able to safely reach places where they can request asylum and have their claims fairly considered.

In the 21st century, Italy has imposed increasing limits on people’s ability to claim asylum. Human rights lawyers and institutions have charged that the Italian government is violating international and European Union laws that guarantee people’s asylum claims to be heard. This is part of a broader restriction of pathways to asylum in wealthy countries around the world in the twenty-first century.

Many asylum seekers and people who had gained asylum participated in this project’s interviews. Many participants identified barriers to seeking asylum and other forms of legal status in Italy’s bureaucratic systems.