Following the 2015 “open door policy” toward refugees fleeing war torn societies in Africa and the Middle East, European countries have experienced a dramatic increase in the number of asylum seekers. The policy, which since then has been ended, overwhelmingly affected Italy, whose geographic proximity to the coast of Africa, make the country the first port of entry for many refugees. The Italian government, torn between its international and European obligations, on one side, and national political and social pressures, on the other, has complained about isolation and has accused the European Union of failing to comply with a “burden sharing agreement” proposed by the European Commission in 2016. Over the years, facing insurmountable challenges and lacking an effective and concerted effort of the European community, the Italian government has changed considerably the political rhetoric about refugees. Seen as a threat to the economy and security of the country, political leaders have been framing the “refugee problem” as a matter of “national security”, exploiting citizens’ fears about the social and economic stability of the country. Local and national elections have been the perfect fora for political candidates to blame prior governments and antagonizing political opponents. Amid internal political pressures the Italian government reached two very controversial agreements with Libya, de facto outsourcing the refugee problem, asking and supporting Libya in intercepting, blocking and returning refugees to North Africa. The consequences of these agreements have been devastating. Refugees refouled to Libya face horrific conditions. Many human rights organizations have accused Italy of fostering crimes against humanity and be complicit in the torture, killing, and mistreatment of many refugees at the hands of the Libyan government. This paper examines the motives behind the policies of the Italian government toward refugees and the political justifications given in support of the agreements with Libya. The theory indicates that the framing of the refugee crisis through the rhetoric of “national security”, primarily determined by the need for political gains, has created a major “human security” crisis unfolding, not only in the waters of the Mediterranean, but also in Libya, with the acquiescence of the Italian government and the European Union.