Presentation of Data and Analysis from the 2025 Immigration Statistical Report

Rome, November 2025 – The presentation of the 35th Immigration Statistical Report, prepared by IDOS in collaboration with the Confronti Study Center and the “S. Pio V” Institute of Political Studies, with the support of the Waldensian Church’s Otto per Mille funds, took place at the Orione Theater in Rome.

“The Immigration Statistical Report is a work that, through figures and numbers, delves into the very flesh and substance of a social reality that, unfortunately, traditional sociological categories can no longer explain. This undertaking seeks to transcend conventional sociology through an unflinching examination of reality itself. We have reasoned with the power of ideas and, even though it is often said that the critique of ideas can never match the critique of arms, what we can do is to mark consciences like a persistent drop of water, and disturb the willfully and culpably dogmatic sleep of our global administrators. This is the challenge the Report embraces using our own tools, and although the stakes are high, we believe that, in the long run, it cannot but prevail,” said Paolo De Nardis, President of the “S. Pio V” Institute of Political Studies.

“Today, perhaps there is no better paradigm than Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ to describe what has been happening to us, for many years now, with regard to immigration,” continued Luca Di Sciullo, President of the IDOS Study and Research Center, who added: “Indeed, when it comes to immigration, we encounter and see only shadows—‘grotesque’ caricatures deliberately crafted by cunning manipulators of light who, behind our backs, project and wave figures of migrants that are ever more distorted and dissimilar to ourselves. They turn them into scapegoats for Italy’s long-unresolved endemic problems. And so, we come to believe in an imaginary form of immigration, projected onto the flat screens of our smartphones, televisions, and computers.”

Francesca Nicodemi, a lawyer specializing in human trafficking, added: “The increase in armed conflicts, climate change, and socioeconomic inequalities across the world are driving people to move, which inevitably exposes them to inhumane working conditions, exploitation, and even slavery. The phenomenon of human trafficking is constantly evolving in terms of numbers, trends, nationalities, and contexts of exploitation. However, significant progress has been made in identifying victims of trafficking for labor exploitation, in order to provide immediate protection upon arrival in the country and then support them through a long process of social inclusion—one that requires an integrated effort between public and private sectors, as well as civil society. Events like today’s are vital to raise awareness of a phenomenon that remains deeply hidden and poorly understood.”

Valeria Taurino, Executive Director of SOS Mediterranee Italia, added: “In the central Mediterranean over the past ten years, more than 25,000 people have died or gone missing. It is the deadliest migration route in the world. SOS Mediterranee has rescued nearly 43,000 people, and we have witnessed immense humanity at sea—but just as much inhumanity in political decisions. Despite changes in governments, practices, tactics, and rhetoric, the outcome and the intent have never changed: to empty the Mediterranean of rescue operations and remove the uncomfortable witnesses of what is happening in these waters. The tragic result has always been an increase in deaths in the Mediterranean. This means that the loss of life in the central Mediterranean is not an unavoidable tragedy but a human-made humanitarian catastrophe—the direct result of misguided political choices. And for that reason, it can and must be reversed.”

“The Report is a map that allows us to follow all the most crucial and concerning global dynamics of our time. Immigration is not an isolated issue, and the Report helps us understand how it is interwoven with global dynamics—especially the grave climate crisis, growing inequalities, and above all, wars. The Report makes it clear that we are living in an era with more conflicts than at any time since World War II, and that the culture of peace, solidarity, and human rights built in the postwar years is eroding. Perhaps the most troubling aspect is the disregard for international law—its devaluation and hollowing out—and the erosion of the global guarantee of respect for fundamental human rights,” concluded Alessandra Trotta, moderator of the Waldensian Church.

The digital press kit is available here: