Tackling TB in migrants arriving at Europe’s southern border

•Over a quarter of TB cases in the European Union can be found in the foreign-born population.•Evidence-based interventions have a major role in reducing the spread of tuberculosis among migrants.•We utilised data from the E-DETECT TB Italy project to assess the cost-effectiveness of early detection of TB in refugees landing in Sicilian ports.•Early case detection is a cost-effective intervention in Italy given the low cost per true-positive case compared to other health interventions.•The cost per case detected is below the median annual costs of TB per person at Italian hospitals.