The final meeting of the year of the Task Force on Contested Minors was held today. The Task Force coordinates Government action in the sensitive area of Italian children unlawfully taken abroad, a growing phenomenon that currently involves 462 open cases.
The Task Force operates through a pragmatic and confidential approach, aimed at resolving situations that have a significant impact on the lives of hundreds of Italian families. It is composed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice and is coordinated by the Italian Foreign Ministry’s Unit for the Protection of Italians Abroad.
During the meeting, reference was made to the recent repatriation of a young girl who had been unlawfully retained in Ecuador by one of her parents. The most critical situations were identified in cases involving minors taken to countries that are not party to international conventions, where markedly different legal systems require particularly delicate assessments in order to identify the most appropriate courses of action.
The Task Force pays particular attention to cases in which minors have been rendered untraceable by one of their parents, including, for example, the case of an Italian girl who, at just five years of age, was taken by her father to Libya.
Thanks to the commitment of the three Ministries involved, the Task Force on Contested Minors will continue its work throughout 2026, with the utmost attention and dedication in support of parents and Italian children affected by these complex cases.
