confino

Confino is an Italian noun that denotes confinement within a limited area, typically as an administrative or punitive measure. The term derives from confining or bordering and is most closely associated with the historical practice of internal exile.

Historically, confino was used in Fascist Italy as a form of internal exile or police confinement. It aimed to remove political opponents, dissidents, and perceived threats from their home regions by relocating them to distant towns, rural areas, or remote islands under varying restrictions on movement and residence. The measure was administered by police authorities and served as a tool of political control without resorting to full imprisonment. The practice contributed to the broader system of state surveillance and suppression of opposition during the regime.

In the postwar period, the term confino is largely encountered in historical discussions rather than as a living legal category. Modern Italian law employs other terms and mechanisms for restraint or detention, such as arrest, detention, or house arrest, rather than the traditional notion of confino. Nevertheless, the concept remains part of scholarly discourse on political repression, exile, and the ways states have managed perceived threats to authority.

Beyond its historical use, confino can be understood more generally as a form of confinement or exile that limits where a person may live or move, distinct from ordinary imprisonment and often tied to administrative decisions rather than criminal penalties.