- Anyone who arrives in Italy must present him or herself to the national authorities to be identified. Do not be afraid of the police, as they can help and protect you.
- To be identified, you must state your first name, last name, date of birth, the country in which you were born, and the country of which you are a citizen in a correct and complete manner. If you have any documents at this stage, show them.
- It is important that you state if you are travelling with family members. It is also essential that you explain the reasons why you left your country and the reasons why you entered Italy.
- The identification procedure consists of taking your photo and fingerprints. This is a standard procedure for all new arrivals. It is important that you understand what is being communicated to you and that your statements are correctly reported in the documents you sign. If something is not clear to you or you have doubts, you can ask for clarifications with the help of an interpreter.
- If you are under 18 years of age and you are travelling alone, immediately report it to the authorities or, if available, to humanitarian organizations. Children arriving in Italy on their own, have the right to be protected and to access reception centers dedicated for them. They also have the right to remain in Italy and be assisted by a guardian. For more information, see the section on Children and Youth under 18.
- If you have a health problem or other vulnerability or specific need, refer it immediately to the authorities or, if available, to humanitarian organizations. For more details, see the section on Services and Where to Seek Help
- From the moment you are in this country, it is Italy that has the obligation to protect you and, therefore, to receive your asylum request.
- Generally, the country responsible for assessing your asylum application is the country where you first entered Europe. However, if you have family members living in other European countries, or if you have documents issued by other European countries, your application may be examined by this other country, where you might be legally and safely transferred. For this reason, it is important that you inform the authorities as soon as possible if you have a family member in another European country. This procedure is called the “Dublin procedure”, and its sole purpose is to identify the country in which your asylum application will be examined. The Dublin procedure applies to all member states of the European Union as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
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