As Italian companies face growing shortages of skilled workers, a labour mobility scheme linking Italy, Tunisia and Morocco has reached an important milestone. More than 100 skilled workers have arrived in Italy through the European Union (EU) Talent Partnerships framework, supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
"These arrivals show what is possible when labour mobility is planned, skills-based and shaped through genuine cooperation between countries of origin and destination. Workers are filling real labour market needs in Italy while gaining opportunities to use and develop their skills creating long-term benefits for workers, employers and communities." Said Salvatore Sortino, Director of the IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean.
Last week, 35 Moroccan mechatronics technicians, arrived in Italy, landing in Milan and Venice. This brings to 121 the total number of Moroccan and Tunisian workers who have arrived in Italy under the programme. From Morocco, 47 workers are now employed by 14 companies in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, nine of which welcomed the latest arrivals. From Tunisia, 74 workers have been hired by 11 construction companies across Italy.
These arrivals mark another step in THAMM Plus (Towards a Holistic Approach to Labour Migration Governance and Labour Mobility in Italy and North Africa), a programme co-funded by the European Union and the Italian Ministry of Interior and implemented by IOM. The initiative contributes to skills development and skills-based migration between North African countries and Italy, facilitating employment opportunities for 2,000 Tunisian workers in construction and 500 Moroccan workers in mechatronics.
The initiative responds to significant and growing labour market needs in Italy and in partner countries. According to Unioncamere's Excelsior data, Italian businesses are expected to require between 3.3 and 3.7 million workers by 2029, with around 617,000 positions projected to be filled by foreign workers. Priority sectors have been jointly identified with Morocco and Tunisia through the Talent Partnerships roundtables.
THAMM Plus combines skills development with regular labour mobility, supporting workers from pre-departure training in their home country to inclusion in the Italian workplace, while promoting fair recruitment and stronger labour migration governance. Once matched with an employer, foreign workers enter Italy under Article 23 of the Consolidated Immigration Act, which allows those who complete approved vocational and civic-linguistic training at home to work in Italy outside the annual quotas.
"Behind every arrival is a person who has invested in developing their skills and an employer seeking talent. When these skills are matched through safe and regular pathways, people move safely, arrive prepared and have a real chance to contribute and belong," Sortino added.
The Italian experience shows that mobility works best when the whole ecosystem works together with verified demand, employer readiness, responsive training, skills recognition, streamlined admission, ethical recruitment and welcoming communities. These lessons are relevant to current and future EU Talent Partnerships.
Through this approach, labour mobility becomes more than a response to immediate vacancies: it becomes a long-term investment in terms of skills, stronger labour market cooperation and development across both shores of the Mediterranean.
With more workers set to arrive in the coming months, the initiative continues to demonstrate how regular migration pathways can help respond to labour needs, create opportunities for skills development and economic growth in countries of origin and destination, whilst supporting people to move safely and build sustainable opportunities.
Notes
THAMM Plus is a transregional programme running from 2024 to 2027, co-funded by the European Union and the Italian Ministry of Interior, and implemented by IOM in Tunisia, Morocco and Italy.
In Italy, THAMM Plus works with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, including the Directorate-General for Migration Policies and the Social and Labour Inclusion of Migrants. In Tunisia, partners include the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, ANETI, and ATFP. In Morocco, the partners are ANAPEC, MIEPEEC, OFPPT and IFMIA. Labour-market figures are based on Medium-term forecasts of employment and occupational needs in Italy (2025-2029), produced by Unioncamere, Italy's national association of Chambers of Commerce, through its Excelsior labour-market information system, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
