The average cost of a deportation has risen to over €3,600, an amount that employers must pay when convicted of hiring an irregular foreign worker. This is an additional administrative sanction provided for by immigration law, intended to cover the expenses borne by the State for the deportation of a worker without a valid residence permit.
Italy’s Consolidated Immigration Act establishes that anyone who employs foreign nationals without a regular residence status is punishable by imprisonment from six months to three years and a fine of €5,000 for each worker employed illegally. Penalties are increased if more than three workers are involved, if the workers are minors of non-working age, or in cases of labour exploitation or illegal gang-mastering.
In addition to criminal penalties, the judge also applies an extra financial measure: payment of the average cost of deportation, calculated for each irregularly employed foreign worker. This amount is updated annually by decree of the Chief of Police.
With the decree published in the Official Gazette on 20 January, the new amount applicable for 2025 was established. After being set at €2,864.77 in 2024, the average cost of deportation has been updated to €3,637.87, effective from the date the decree entered into force.
The increase represents a significant additional financial burden for convicted employers, on top of the already severe criminal and administrative sanctions provided by law. The measure strengthens efforts to combat irregular employment and to discourage the use of foreign labour without a valid residence permit, making violations increasingly costly.
