Rome – Lampedusa, 25–27 May, 2026.
From 25 to 27 May, 2026, an in-depth seminar on the topic “Maritime borders and migration flows: State obligations and fundamental rights. Internal legal and organizational issues in the context of international law” was held at the “Prefetto Carlo Mosca” Conference Hall in the Scuola di Perfezionamento per le Forze di Polizia (SFP) and at the Lampedusa hotspot.
This seminar, addressed to the trainees of the 41st Advanced Training Course, was also attended by representatives from the Carabinieri Officers’ Academy, the “Piersanti Mattarella” School of the Prison Police and officials from various national security agencies involved in the analysis and management of the complex phenomenon of migration, with the aim of acquiring further expertise in the field and fostering the exchange of knowledge and mutual experiences.
During the first day of the session, introduced by the SFP Director, National Police Dirigente Generale Vincenzo Massimo Modeo, some SFP’s trainers, magistrates and legal experts, as well as representatives from various police forces, delivered their lectures. They provided the legal and technical-operational framework relating to the broad topic of maritime border control, search and rescue (SAR) operations, and disembarkation and reception procedures, with particular attention to national and international legislation and case law.
The event also dealt with topics such as the protection of unaccompanied foreign minors, international conventions on the safeguarding of human life at sea, methods of identification and protection, de facto detention, and the potential implications of the new European Pact on Migration, which is scheduled to come into force this June.
Then, on 26 May, the trainees of the 41st Advanced Training Course were welcomed at the Air and Naval Operations Command in Pratica di Mare to continue their training. The delegation, made up of 23 Management Grade Officers/Officials from Italian and foreign police forces, accompanied by the National Police Dirigente Generale Vincenzo Massimo Modeo, was welcomed by the Air and Naval Operations Commander, Major General Joselito Minuto, as well as by the Commander of the Air and Maritime Exploration Group, Colonel Pilot, ISSMI graduate Domenico Tavone, who outlined the roles and duties of the Guardia di Finanza Corps in the air and maritime sectors.
Afterwards, the delegates traveled to Lampedusa by flight, aboard an ATR72 aircraft of the Air and Maritime Exploration Group. During the travel, the operational
and technological equipment fitted to the Guardia di Finanza Corps’ aircraft was described, thus providing an in-depth insight into the enforcement capabilities of the air and naval unit.
On the island, the visit continued at the local hotspot, where the provincial authorities of Agrigento, the Prefetto, the Chief of Local Police, the Provincial Commanders of the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza Corps, the local Coast Guard Commander and the Red Cross representative described the situation at the centre and the procedures adopted following the arrival of irregular migrants intercepted or rescued at sea or who had landed on the island independently.
The course participants’ stay in Lampedusa continued the following day with a visit to the situation room of the Naval Operations Section of the Guardia di Finanza Corps, followed by a briefing given by personnel from the various police forces operating in the area, who described how operations are conducted in both routine and often emergency situations. Moreover, officers from the Italian Coast Guard explained aspects relating to sea rescue operations connected with irregular migration flows.
The course participants then boarded operational vessels of the Guardia di Finanza Corps and took part in a surveillance mission covering the stretch of sea off the island.
One of the most significant moments of the training activity was undoubtedly represented by boarding the High-Speed Patrol Vessel P.V. 9 CINUS – a vessel assigned to the Messina Air and Naval Group and currently redeployed on the island to support operational activities.
On 27 May, on their return from Lampedusa, the delegation was welcomed by the Guardia di Finanza Brigadier General Maurizio Muscarà, Commander of the Guardia di Finanza Aviation Centre in Pratica di Mare, who, assisted by his staff, gave a brief overview of the Centre’s institutional activities and subsequently demonstrated the aircraft and naval vessels in service, using simulators.
