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Italy made a second attempt to detain European asylum seekers in Albania on Friday, after a court sent the first group back last month.
The Italian government’s plan to host up to 3,000 asylum seekers in two Italian-run centers in Albania is the cornerstone of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s efforts to stem the flow of illegal migrants into Italy from the other side. Mediterranean Sea.
Her controversial plan failed Serious failure last monthwhen the first 16 asylum seekers were sent to Albania, after being rescued in the Mediterranean, they all had to be rushed to Italy.
Of that first group – all from Bangladesh and Egypt – four were considered too young or too weak to be detained in Albania’s centers, which are reserved only for healthy, adult men. from countries that Rome considers “safe” to return to.
An immigration judge in Rome later ruled that the remaining dozen should have the right to be taken to Italy because their countries of origin could not be considered “safe countries.”
The court’s ruling caused outrage melon who complained that “judges have no authority to determine which countries are safe and which are not.” Her cabinet has since officially declared 19 countries, including Bangladesh and Egypt, as “safe” for repatriation.
On Friday, an Italian navy ship brought eight new asylum seekers – all from Bangladesh and Egypt – to Albanian centers as Meloni launched a new effort to test the law.
The latest group was selected from hundreds of illegal migrants rescued by Italian authorities in the Mediterranean in recent days. But within hours of their early morning arrival, one of the men was found to have serious health problems that required urgent transfer to Italy.
The rest are expected to appear within 48 hours before an immigration judge, who must decide whether to approve their continued detention in Albania or order their transfer to Italy.
Meloni said on Friday that she Albania diagram attracted “particular attention” from other European leaders at the summit in Budapest as they were all keen to find ways to limit the flow of irregular migrants into their countries.
She said some of them shared her concerns about judges denying what the government considers a “safe” destination for the return of people without genuine asylum claims. the.
In light of those rulings, Meloni said there is “the risk of confronting the reality that there are no safe countries,” which would undermine efforts to curb illegal migration.
Under Italy’s agreement with Albania, Rome can detain up to 3,000 people at a time in two Italian-run detention centers while their asylum claims are assessed. Once that process is complete, those whose requests were denied will be sent back to their home country, while those who qualify will have the right to remain in Italy.
Critics, including Italy’s opposition parties, have criticized the plan as a costly political play because a small proportion of illegal migrants arriving in Italy are likely to actually be held in prison. there.
According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, so far this month, nearly 2,500 illegal migrants have arrived in Italy by boat from the Mediterranean.
