More than 2 Italians are stranded abroad; find out which countries.

The 2025 Statistical Yearbook of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicates that 2.145 Italian citizens They are serving sentences in foreign prisons. The number encompasses various legal situations, from convicts to people awaiting trial or extradition.

Europe accounts for the largest number of detainees, with 1.562 people in the European Union, representing 72% of the total. Outside the European bloc, there are another 227 Italians imprisoned on the continent.

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Germany has the largest prison population of Italian citizens in the world. There are 837 detainees on German soil, of which 442 have a final conviction, 383 are awaiting trial, and 12 are in extradition proceedings.

Next in line are Belgium, with 203 detainees, and Spain, with 200. France has recorded 148 cases. Outside the European Union, the United Kingdom leads with 119 detainees, followed by Switzerland with 76.

In the Americas, the total number of Italians arrested has reached 201. The country with the highest number of registered cases is Venezuela. After the release of Alberto Trentini and Mario BurlòThere are no longer any citizens with only Italian nationality imprisoned in the country.

However, 42 people with dual Italian-Venezuelan citizenship remain detained in Venezuela. Of this group, 24 are considered political prisoners by non-governmental organizations and family members.

In the United States, there are 35 Italians detained. One of the recent cases involves Gaetano Cateno Mirabella Costa, transferred to the Alligator Alcatraz detention center in Florida after serving time for other offenses and awaiting extradition for immigration reasons.

In the rest of the American continent, Brazil registers 31 Italian prisoners., followed by Argentina with 17 cases and Panama with 11 detainees.

In the Asia and Oceania region, there are 86 prisoners in total. Australia accounts for the majority, with 56 Italian citizens in its prison system. China has 8 registered cases and Japan has 6 detainees.

ADVERTISING

🔴 Supreme Court • May 2026

Standing in line at the consulate doesn't erase your right to citizenship.

The Italian Supreme Court has confirmed that a consular blockade is legal grounds for legal action.

• Were you unable to schedule an appointment at the consulate?
• Is the process stalled or poorly managed?
• Maternal lineage?
• Incomplete documentation?

See if there is still a solution.

In the Middle East and Mediterranean, the United Arab Emirates leads with 15 detainees out of a total of 45 in the region. In sub-Saharan Africa, Senegal has the highest number of cases, with 7 detainees among the 24 registered nationwide.