Despite legal obstacles, Italy is once again transferring immigrants to Albania
After more than two months of delays, Italy has started transferring 49 illegal immigrants who were caught in the Mediterranean to asylum seeker centres in Albania.
After more than two months of delays, Italy has started transferring 49 illegal immigrants who were caught in the Mediterranean to asylum seeker centres in Albania. The naval ship Cassiopeia, which was transporting the immigrants, is anticipated to arrive at the Albanian port of Shengjin on January 28, according to port officials on January 26.In addition to those who were moved, 53 more "spontaneously presented their passports," according to the Interior Ministry. In these situations, people would probably be repatriated under a fast-track process if their nationality was verified. The most recent transfer was a component of a deal that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian colleague Edi Rama inked in November 2023 to establish two Italian-managed processing centres.The facilities, which can hold 3,000 people per month and started operations in October 2024, have generated controversy because of court decisions that have made it difficult for them to operate.Citing a European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision, Italian justices denied the detention of the initial groups sent to Albania. This decision states that if an asylum seeker's country of origin is judged unsafe, they cannot go through expedited repatriation proceedings. As a result, the immigrants returned to Italy, and while the ECJ examined the matter, additional transfers were halted. In response, Meloni lowered the number of nations deemed safe from 22 to 19, claiming that every area of these countries complied with the safety standards. Nevertheless, the justices' ruling has complicated the policy's wider execution by enabling lower courts to decide whether a nation was safe for repatriation on a case-by-case basis.Despite ongoing criticism, the Italian government has set aside €650 million to subsidize the centres in Albania over a five-year period. Notwithstanding the legal issues, Meloni has emphasized that other European leaders strongly supported the plan, highlighting her stated commitment to an immigration strategy that went beyond EU boundaries. Critics, however, argue that the policy represents a troubling precedent for outsourcing immigration responsibilities to non-EU countries, raising concerns about transparency, accountability, and the treatment of asylum seekers. Human rights organizations have questioned the conditions at the Albanian processing centres, warning that such agreements could sideline the EU’s commitment to upholding international asylum standards. Opposition parties in Italy have also accused the government of prioritizing political optics over genuine humanitarian solutions, pointing out that the reduced list of "safe" countries may still expose migrants to significant risks. Meanwhile, the Albanian government has defended the arrangement, framing it as an opportunity to strengthen ties with Italy while addressing migration challenges collaboratively.
