Less rights and migrants under attack: the Council of Europe warns Italy

Brussels – Guests are not always welcome (at least by the government). The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, visiting Italy, gave a speech at Roma Tre University, where he denounced the decline of the rule of law in Italy. O’Flaherty did not forget to point out that the decline in migrants’ rights in Europe is the result of Italian (and Danish) efforts. He then added fuel to the fire by saying that “Italy has a score of 6.6 out of ten in the World Justice Project‘s 2025 Rule of Law Index.”

Intolerance towards the government

The Commissioner will also visit the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies today, 13 January, to talk with the Constitutional Affairs Committees. However, in his speech at the Roman university, O’Flaherty already showed impatience with the Meloni government’s approach. There was no shortage of criticism on issues closely linked to domestic politics. “During my visit to Italy,” said the Commissioner, “I will pay particular attention to the state of the judiciary and independent media.”

The reduction of migrants’ rights

However, the recurring theme for the Commissioner for Human Rights is that of migrants, which is part of his institutional mandate. O’Flaherty reminded university students that the government in Rome is at the forefront of efforts to reduce the rights of asylum seekers. On 10 December, 27 member states (out of 46) of the Council of Europe issued a statement calling for a change in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) approach to migration.

“The initiative for the declaration was led by the governments of Denmark and Italy,” recalled the Commissioner. He also fears that the phenomenon will be exploited: “Irregular migration to the EU fell by 25 per cent in the first 11 months of 2025 and, in any case, we are nowhere near the situation we saw in 2015. In other words, it does not appear that migration represents a challenge to the extent suggested.”

 This unwarranted focus on the phenomenon hides something more for O’Flaherty: “If the authorities start designating large groups of people they don’t like and whose protection should be weakened, we are venturing onto dangerous and slippery ground,” he says, going so far as to ask: “Who will be next?”

Venezuela and Ukraine 

The warning from the Commissioner for Human Rights is not directed solely at Italy and Europe. The United States’ removal of Venezuelan President Maduro is described as an “illegal kidnapping”, while Russia’s attack on Ukraine is described as “persecution resulting from the decline of the post-war world order.” The solution for the official is therefore to strengthen intergovernmental institutions, while always keeping the states at the centre. “Only states can halt the decline and repair the systems. First and foremost, we must turn to them and try to persuade them.” Words that seem anachronistic in today’s context of wars and human rights violations.