In a recent move to address the migrant crisis, Italy has dispatched an Italian navy vessel carrying 49 intercepted migrants to Albania. This action forms part of Italy's efforts to manage the processing of asylum applications in designated Albanian centers, despite previous legal hurdles. The Italian government remains determined to implement this strategy, following earlier objections raised by Italian courts.
The Italian Interior Ministry has not disclosed the nationalities of these recent migrants who arrived in Shengjin, Albania, a port located 66 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Tirana, the Albanian capital. However, reports suggest that they originate from Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Gambia. Albania's submerged yet significant role in asylum processing becomes clearer through such developments.
Previous attempts to streamline the migrant processing procedure in Albania encountered setbacks when Italian judges blocked the detainment of earlier groups at these centers. The courts argued that the migrants' home countries post increased risks, thus making repatriation unsafe. Consequently, this issue escalated to the European Court of Justice. A court session has been scheduled for February 25 to deliberate on whether asylum applicants can indeed be subjected to expedited processes when involving riskier home territories.
Meanwhile, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni asserts the reactivation of the two centers in Albania, despite them being inactive following the Italian judiciary's verdict. A pivotal judgment by Italy's highest court in late December backed her ambition, stating that judicial authorities should not overstep government policies by designating safe countries for potential repatriating migrants. Nonetheless, the ruling preserves the power of lower courts to assess safety-related cases individually.
The current cohort of migrants will initially undergo identity verification at a reception center located at Shengjin port before their transfer to an accommodation site in Gjader, approximately 22 kilometers (14 miles) inland. This movement aligns with an agreement formed in November 2023 between Italy and Albania, allowing as many as 3,000 migrants intercepted in international waters by the Italian coast guard each month to be processed in Albania.
Those granted asylum stand the chance to continue their journey to Italy, while rejected applicants face the possibility of immediate deportation from Albania. Outsourcing asylum processing to Albania, an entity outside the European Union, has sparked mixed reactions globally. While some countries facing escalating migrant influxes applaud the collaboration, human rights advocates criticize it for potentially setting a precarious precedent.
The statistics reflect the urgent nature of these measures. Italy has recorded the arrival of 3,704 migrants so far this year, significantly above the figure from the same period last year, which saw 1,305 arrivals. In 2022, a total of 66,317 migrants reached Italian shores, marking a sharp decrease of 58% from the prior year. Most migrants hailed from Bangladesh, followed by entrants from Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt, as indicated by the Italian Interior Ministry.
