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Brussels has in the past questioned whether schemes for processing asylum applications in non-EU countries...
Italy will build two centers in Albania to host migrants trying to reach the EU by sea, the prime ministers of the two countries announced on Monday.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the agreement as a "European agreement" and "an innovative solution" aimed at curbing an increase in illegal crossings in the Mediterranean Sea. More than 145,000 migrants have reached Italian shores from North Africa since the start of 2023, compared to 88,000 people last year.
"Mass illegal immigration is a phenomenon that EU member states cannot deal with alone. Cooperation with non-EU member states can be decisive", said Meloni in a joint press conference in Rome, together with her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama.
It is the first time that an EU country has granted its asylum procedures to a country that is not yet part of the bloc. Albania is in talks to join the EU and has been a member of NATO since 2009. The deal echoes the UK's deal with Rwanda, which has however been mired in legal challenges.
The European Commission said it was aware of the deal but had not yet received details. "It is important that any such agreement is in full respect of EU and international law," a commission spokesman said.
Brussels has in the past questioned whether schemes for processing asylum claims in non-EU countries are in line with international rules, which state that people seeking protection in another country cannot be sent back without a hearing. first their request.
Meloni has repeatedly floated the idea of building reception centers outside Italian and even European borders, suggesting they could be set up in North Africa. She stopped in Albania in August, when she interrupted her vacation in the region of Puglia to spend a few days meeting with Rama in his country.
The construction of the two migrant facilities - where Italian jurisdiction will apply - will be financed entirely by the Italian state, she said. The migrants rescued at sea by the Italian coast guard will land in the port of Shengjin, in the north of Albania. They will first be accommodated in the reception center where they will be registered and where they can apply for asylum in Italy.
20 km from the coast, in Gjadër, a deportation and detention facility will also be built. Albanian police guards will be in charge of patrolling both centers.
"If Italy calls, Albania is there", said Rama. "Lending a hand in this case means helping to manage a situation that everyone sees as difficult for Italy," he added.
Meloni said Italy expects these centers to be fully operational by spring 2024 and have the capacity to handle between 36,000 and 39,000 migrants a year. She added that she hopes that this agreement can become a "model" for other countries to follow.
According to a government official, the facilities will only house people rescued at sea by Italian law enforcement and not by ships operated by charity groups. Women, children and migrants in vulnerable conditions will not be brought to Albania, but will continue to land in Italy. / Adapted "Pamphlet" from " The Financial Times "
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