Starting from an analysis of the migration policies enacted by the European Union before 2011, this work aims to understand how European countries managed the North Mediterranean’s situation after the events of Arab Spring, and which kind of policies has been adopted by them. A particular attention is devoted to Italy, as one of major Mediterranean immigration countries. Although past evidence shows that restrictive migration policies are unable to prevent irregular fl ows and control migration, the main response of the European Union to the migratory movements from the south Mediterranean countries was a reinstating of prior positions on the matter, which are based on border controls and restrictions over migrants and refugees. We argue that such policies increase the likelihood of dying at border crossings and cause marginalization and episodes of racism in the host societies. Policies in favor of mobility and integration of foreigners should be preferred to surveillance measures, the former being more realistic, effective and, above all, safer for migrants. Keywords: European Union, Mediterranean, Italy, migration policies.