An Italian navy ship has docked in Shengjin, Albania, carrying 49 migrants intercepted in international waters. These migrants will undergo processing of their asylum applications at special Albanian centers. The nationalities of the migrants have not been officially disclosed, but reports suggest they are from Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Gambia.
This marks the third attempt to process migrants in Albania, following previous setbacks due to Italian court rulings. In October and November, Italian judges rejected the detention of migrant groups at Albanian centers, citing concerns about the safety of their home countries. The cases have now been referred to the European Court of Justice, with a hearing scheduled for February 25.
Italy's government, under Premier Giorgia Meloni, is determined to reactivate the Albanian centers despite legal challenges. A recent ruling by Italy's highest court affirmed that judges cannot override government policy on determining safe repatriation countries for rejected asylum-seekers.
Under the November 2023 agreement, up to 3,000 migrants intercepted by the Italian coast guard each month can be housed in Albania for asylum processing. Those granted asylum will be welcomed in Italy, while others face deportation directly from Albania.
While some countries view this outsourcing of asylum-seeker housing positively, human rights activists have criticized the agreement as setting a concerning precedent. Italy has seen a significant increase in migrant arrivals this year, with 3,704 migrants arriving so far, more than double the number from the same period last year.
Last year, 66,317 migrants arrived in Italy, a notable decrease from the previous year. The majority of arrivals were from Bangladesh, Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt, according to the Italian Interior Ministry.
