Italian Court Backs Moroccan Worker After First Employer Disappears
A Moroccan man who legally moved to Italy for work was left without a job after his first employer stopped responding to his messages. The prefecture then refused to let another employer take over. The Regional Administrative Court of Veneto has now overturned the decision.
He had obtained work authorization, secured a seasonal work visa and traveled to Italy. But once there, he was unable to reach the employer who had requested his recruitment. Despite repeated attempts, the employer did not respond.
The Moroccan national took matters into his own hands. Rather than wait indefinitely, he immediately looked for another job and began the process of having a new employer take over his case.
The prefecture of Rovigo refused. The administration barred the replacement of the first employer, blocking the process needed to obtain his residence permit for salaried work.
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The Moroccan man challenged the decision before the Regional Administrative Court of Veneto. His argument: he had entered Italy legally and had actively sought work. The first employer’s failure to respond was beyond his control.
Justice refuses to make him pay for his employer’s failure to respond
In judgment No. 1777 of September 8, 2026, reported on October 23 by the Italian legal media outlet Melting Pot Europa, the court ruled in his favor.
The judges relied on Italian Council of State case law: a foreign national who entered the country legally and was prevented from starting work for reasons beyond their control must be protected when actively seeking another job.
The court also noted that Italian law allows people, under certain conditions, to start working while the residence contract is being signed.
The prefecture’s refusal therefore created an unjustified obstacle to the continuation of the Moroccan man’s application. The judges overturned the administrative decision.
The prefecture of Rovigo must now reconsider his request to change employers, taking into account the documents he submitted to show his efforts to find work.
