American actor Richard Gere has reignited the debate over migration policies in Italy, criticizing the use of detention, deportations and the relocation of border controls outside the territory of the European Union.
In a video published on October 5 by the organization ActionAid, Gere specifically criticized the model set up by Italy in Albania for the treatment of migrants.
"Fear is replacing compassion," the actor says, arguing that people are being reduced to "numbers, problems or threats."
Gere says that detention and deportation are increasingly being presented as the normal solution for managing migration. According to him, this can be done without violating the right to asylum and without treating human rights as an obstacle.
Referring to the Italy-Albania agreement, the actor states that this model represents a shift of migration control outside the EU's borders.
"In Italy, this direction can be seen in the increasing use of detention centers and in the model developed with Albania," says Gere, warning that what is happening in Albania could serve as a model for future European migration policies.
Richard Gere has been involved in the issue of immigration for years. In 2019, he visited the Open Arms rescue ship, which was stranded in the Mediterranean, and later, in Lampedusa, he called on the Italian government to stop "demonizing people."
The new video was released a few days after ActionAid and the University of Bari presented the "Trattenuti" report, which analyzes the functioning of Italian repatriation centers and deportation policies.
According to the report, Italy carried out 4,784 forced returns in 2025, while 6,835 people were registered in repatriation centers. Only 25.3% of them were repatriated. The report also notes that repatriations from these centers have decreased by 45.1% compared to 2022.
Gere's statements have also caused reactions in Italy, especially in right-wing media, which have criticized the actor's stance and argued that the figures show the system's difficulties in carrying out deportations, and not necessarily the failure of the detention policy itself.
