Italy

Over 180,000 asylum seekers and other migrants reached Italy by sea in 2016, including around 25,000 unaccompanied children, a significant increase over previous years. Long a transit country, Italy saw an increase in new asylum applications as fingerprinting and border controls prevented onward movement. The government pursued migration cooperation with countries that have records of abuse like Sudan and Libya.  Women face obstacles accessing legal abortions as many doctors refuse to carry them out for reasons of conscientious objection. As of May 2016, same-sex couples may have their relationships legally recognized as civil unions, though they do not have the right to adopt.