SHENGJIN, Albania — An Italian naval vessel docked in Albania on Tuesday, bringing with it 49 migrants who were intercepted in international waters. These individuals are set to have their asylum requests processed at designated centers in Albania, marking the third such operation after previous legal issues arose in Italy.
Although Italy’s Interior Ministry did not disclose the migrants’ nationalities, reports from Italian media indicated that they hail from countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Gambia. Local news sources mentioned that five of these migrants — two from Bangladesh, two from Gambia, and one from Ivory Coast — will be sent to Italy for further processing. This decision was made because four of them are minors, and one is classified as a “vulnerable” individual, though further specifics were not provided.
This effort to process applications in Albania comes on the heels of two setbacks in October and November. During these times, Italian judicial bodies declined to authorize the detention of two groups at the Albanian centers, which were established through a controversial bilateral agreement. The courts determined that the countries the migrants came from were not sufficiently safe for them to potentially face repatriation from these centers.
The matter has been escalated to the European Court of Justice, which previously ruled that asylum seekers cannot undergo expedited procedures leading to repatriation if their home countries are not considered entirely safe. A hearing at the European court is set for February 25.
The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed commitment to revamping the aforementioned centers, which had fallen inactive due to judicial decisions. This stance received partial reinforcement from a late December ruling by Italy’s highest court, stating that judges in Italy could not impose their judgment on government policy regarding the safety of nations for migrant repatriation.
The court’s ruling permits lower-level judicial bodies to evaluate such safety on an individual basis, rather than formulating a comprehensive policy. Migrants arriving in Shengjin will first be checked in at a reception center there before being transported to the Gjader accommodation center, which is situated approximately 22 kilometers (14 miles) to the east.
The agreement reached in November allows for up to 3,000 migrants intercepted by the Italian Coast Guard each month to be accommodated in Albania, where they may either apply for asylum in Italy or face deportation. Italy has committed to accepting those who are granted asylum, while those whose applications are denied will be deported directly from Albania.
This initiative to house asylum seekers in a non-European Union nation has garnered support from several countries similarly dealing with high inflows of migrants, although it has faced criticism from human rights advocates who argue it sets a troubling precedent.
So far this year, 3,704 migrants have made their way to Italy, which is more than double the figure from the same timeframe last year, when 1,305 migrants arrived. In the previous year, a total of 66,317 migrants reached Italy, reflecting a 58% decrease from the preceeding period. The majority of these individuals originated from Bangladesh, followed closely by Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt, according to data from the Italian Interior Ministry.
