FLASH
Shkruar nga Pierfrancesco De Robertis
For Meloni, this is undoubtedly a publicity opportunity, given the opposition's attack on the Prime Minister, who rushed to accuse her of wasting resources on the one hand and disregarding international law...
Whatever one may think about the repatriation centers in Albania promoted by the Meloni government, the decision of the European Council of Interior Ministers, which has tightened EU migration policies, scores a point in the Italian Prime Minister's favor.
Giorgia Meloni had attached great importance to a breakthrough on the immigration issue during her election campaign, and everyone remembers the Brothers of Italy's battle for the phantom "maritime blockade", which remained unfulfilled because it was simply unenforceable.
This promise ultimately backfired on the prime minister, as it became a symbol of the "I would like to, but I can't" attitude, typical of those who say one thing and then do another. Meloni then rushed to the rescue and invented the centers in Albania, signing an "innovative" agreement (as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it) with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, a socialist.
Will the centers in Albania reopen? What happens after the EU's strict measures against immigrants?
Much has been written about the centers in Albania, partly because of the conflict that had erupted between the government and part of the Italian judiciary over their use. After the centers were completed and the first migrants left Italy to be sheltered there and then repatriated, judges blocked the move, citing the lack of specific European legislation regarding safe places. The government issued a subsequent decree to clarify matters, but even that was not enough, and the use of the centers was again vetoed by magistrates.
However, all this is a thing of the past and the recent decision of the European Council has opened a new path. The measure is not yet operational because it needs to be confirmed by the European Parliament, where there is nevertheless a strong majority to approve it and within a few months the final parts will fall into place (expected June 2026).
For Meloni, this is undoubtedly a publicity opportunity, given the opposition's attack on the Prime Minister, who rushed to accuse her of wasting resources on the one hand and disregarding international law (and human rights) on the other. The reactions of Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi after the Brussels decision confirm Palazzo Chigi's easing up on an issue that had begun to heat up and, with the elections ever closer, could have had irreversible negative effects.
Migrants, Meloni's real problem
However, this change brings with it new uncertainties, which for the center-right may not all be positive. Anyone who thinks that the opening of Albanian centers, when it ever happens, will solve all the problems of illegal immigration, risks being seriously mistaken. It is a path (other European countries will try it, as the Netherlands is doing, for example, with a protocol similar to Uganda) that, instead of preventing and managing arrivals, will serve (in theory) as an obstacle for those who want to leave, invest years of savings and risk their lives in a passage that may end not in Italy or another EU country, but in a detention center in Albania.
Migrant landings in Italy
The European crackdown, for which the definitions of "safe country" and "safe third country" are cornerstones, aims to send a message, especially to human traffickers. However, from there, the way forward needs to be precisely defined. The criticisms of the opposition directed at the European decision, but also criticism from the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI) and NGO leaders, point to the fact that many repatriation agreements with countries of origin are still missing, that CPRs already exist in Italy that perform the same function as the Albanian centers, and that many migrants come from unsafe areas of countries considered safe, resulting in a flood of appeals that will overload the courts.
Italy issued just over 10,000 eviction decrees in the first two quarters of 2025.
In short, the legal and political battle seems to have just begun. The draft law that the government is preparing to implement EU law will have to resolve many issues. / Today.it /
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