The Italian government has reception centres available to asylum seekers who lack sufficient financial means to meet their needs and those of their family unit. These centres are run by the Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with Prefectures and specialized NGOs/associations or private companies.
There are different types of facilities where you may be hosted, depending on your situation and the stage of the international protection procedure you are at.
Upon your arrival in Italy, you may be hosted in a facility or area designated by the competent authorities for the initial identification and screening phase. The authorities will also assess which procedure applies to your case and where your application for international protection will be examined.
In some cases provided for by law, your asylum application may be processed through a border procedure or an accelerated procedure, which provide for faster processing times. During this phase, you may be hosted in facilities located at or near the borders or in other locations designated by the competent authorities. If your application is processed through the standard procedure, or once it has been successfully completed, you may be transferred to a reception center or to a project within the Reception and Integration System (Sistema Accoglienza e Integrazione, “SAI”), subject to availability.
During the asylum process, you have the right to receive reception support in accordance with Italian and European law. Reception facilities guarantee essential services, including social and psychological assistance, healthcare, linguistic and cultural mediation, orientation and legal support, as well as activities aimed at learning the Italian language and promoting inclusion.