“The approval of the pact is a great success for Europe and for Italy, which will now be able to count on new rules to manage migratory flows and fight human traffickers,” Piantedosi said in a statement.

Italy has long been the first point of arrival for migrants trying to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa – and has also long complained that other EU countries do not do enough to help.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right government came to power last year on a vow to slash the number of boat landings.

Over 150,000 people have arrived in Italy by boat so far this year, compared to just under 100,000 last year and 64,000 in 2021, interior ministry figures show.

Piantedosi said Italy had used “the right balance between responsibility and solidarity” to help forge the new rules, which include a solidarity mechanism to take pressure off southern countries experiencing big inflows.

EU countries and lawmakers had come up with “a balanced solution so that EU border countries, which are particularly exposed to migratory pressure, no longer feel alone”, Piantedosi said.

The accord still needs to be formally approved by the European Council, representing the 27 EU member countries, and the European Parliament before it enters the bloc’s lawbooks.

The reform includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, the creation of border detention centres, and accelerated deportation for rejected asylum applicants.

The negotiators were keen to reach a workable deal that could be enacted before the term of the current European Parliament ends in June 2024.

But dozens of charities that help migrants – including Amnesty International, Oxfam, Caritas, and Save the Children – have criticised the changes, saying in an open letter that the package would create a “cruel system” that is unworkable.