Special Protection
Plain English
It's the legal grounds for granting protection to people who can\'t be returned to their home country for specific risks, even if they don\'t qualify as refugees or for subsidiary protection. It replaced humanitarian protection in 2020 and was reshaped again in later reforms.
Why it matters
It\'s a residual protection used in serious individual situations. The exact criteria have shifted with each reform, so older guidance can be misleading.
Common confusion
Special protection isn\'t "asylum lite." It has its own legal basis and limited duration, and is granted only in specific cases the law sets out.
Official source
Ministero dell'Interno