Work Vacations in Apulia: Meloni and the Controversy Over the „Dublinanti“
The prime minister is spending her summer vacation in the province of Brindisi—and the conflict with Berlin over asylum repatriations is weighing on her mind.
Savelletri di Fasano – Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is spending her summer vacation in Apulia, but it’s hardly what you’d call a real break. After a few days in Greece, she has taken up residence in the province of Brindisi, including at the Borgo Egnazia masseria complex near Savelletri di Fasano, where Italy hosted the 2024 G7 summit. From there, she is monitoring an issue that, within just a few weeks, has become a major test for relations with Germany: the return of asylum seekers under the Dublin Regulation.
„In Italy, “Dublinanti” is the term used to refer to asylum seekers who were registered here but are now residing in another EU country and are to be returned to the country where they first arrived. Berlin is insisting on these transfers, while Rome is putting the brakes on them. What began as an administrative issue has thus become a politically contentious topic between two governments that otherwise like to present themselves as allies on migration policy.
What the Dublin transfers are all about
The Dublin Regulation determines which member state is responsible for an asylum proceeding. As a rule, the country of first registration is responsible; for many people arriving via the central Mediterranean, that is Italy. If they travel on to Germany, the Federal Office there can request their transfer. That is exactly what is about to happen again: The Federal Ministry of the Interior has announced that it will resume transfers to Italy starting August 19, citing the new European asylum system—which has been in effect since June 12, 2026—as well as bilateral agreements dating back to 2025. In the first half of 2026, Germany registered just under 11,800 such cases that it intends to transfer to other member states, primarily to Italy, Greece, and Spain.
Rome Slows Down, Brussels Issues a Warning
Italy had temporarily suspended repatriations and continues to adhere to a narrow interpretation of the rules. According to the Ministry of the Interior in Rome, anyone who arrived before June 12 falls under earlier bilateral agreements and will not be sent back; for those who arrived later, it is still too early to decide. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi points to a moratorium, while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is banking on talks and holds out the prospect of a balanced solution. In addition, Rome is demanding compensation for those migrants who were brought ashore by rescue ships flying European—often German—flags.
The European Commission sees the matter differently. In a report from mid-July, it noted that eight member states had requested twelve transfers to Italy between June 12 and July 7, and that all of them were rejected. A receiving country is not permitted to refuse a transfer. Berlin, for its part, indicated that it was surprised by the uproar in Rome.
Dates Following the Masseria
In any case, Meloni won’t be in vacation mode for long. On August 21, she will join President Sergio Mattarella in opening the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, and she is expected back in Apulia in early September. The conflict with Berlin will then be at the top of her agenda upon her return to Rome.
