essential needs such as accommodation, clothing and food, but also seeks to protect fundamental human rights, such as access to health care. It is a fact that asylum seekers and refugees are at high risk of developing psycho-pathological syndromes due to the effect of stressful or traumatic experiences. About 90% of them have suffered from very serious violence, if not real torture (for example in the prisons in Libya) prior to their arrival in Italy. In addition, many were forced to leave their home countries to avoid persecution or to escape from combat or civil wars in their birth place. Throughout their dangerous journey to Europe, they have often been exposed to additional risks and traumatic events, such as situations of abuse, violence and various kinds of assault, including sexual violence, malnutrition, lack of health care, humiliation, imprisonment and repatriations. Over the past years, the Italian health care system had to start working more and more on the particular needs of victims of torture, something the system was not prepared for. Therefore, it was necessary to develop areas of expertise, not only to improve the reception of asylum seekers and refugees but also to better identify symptoms and signs of torture, so that those who need specific rehabilitative assistance receive it. Italy has developed a National Plan for the integration of immigrants. Employment opportunities are crucial to integration and healthcare is a fundamental part of any work opportunity. Therefore, the rehabilitation of torture victims, including medical care, plays a key role in the integration process. For this reason, despite the growing economic restraints, Italy considered it necessary to develop national guidelines for the healthcare system to address these specific needs, including through specific training programmes for personnel, also drawing on the respective EU Directives. These “Strategic guidelines concerning the interventions of support, rehabilitation and treatment of mental disorders of refugees and persons who have suffered from torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence” have been nationally implemented with a Ministry of Health’s Decree and their publication on 24 April 2017 in the Official Journal. The guidelines have been developed by a working group composed of national and international institutions working with migrants (e.g. UNHCR) and experts from scientific associations and civil society organizations. This allowed for a multidisciplinary approach to all aspects of the assistance provided, starting from identification to rehabilitation with specific attention given to the certification, which is essential to asylum seekers, and mediation, which is necessary to build relationships between the survivor and those they encounter in the process. The guidelines also address health protection of the involved operators, in addition to meet their need for adequate training. Particular attention has been granted to vulnerable persons, such as women and children. There are several projects in order to effectively implement these national guidelines and train operators to identify and take care of vulnerable migrants. The Italian Model: “Strategic Guidelines concerning the interventions of support, rehabilitation and treatment of mental disorders of refugees and persons who have suffered from torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence” On 19 May 2017, the Italian National Commission for the Right of Asylum issued a circular providing for the application of guidelines on the treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims, and guaranteeing operational effectiveness with regard to the work of authorities determining asylum claims. The guidelines set out that the staff working in reception centres would be trained on the 8