Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been intensifying relations with the Albanian executive for months. In fact, this summer he spent his vacation on the borders of the country and promoted the virtues of this country. This Monday he presented some of the fruits that this diplomatic courtship has produced with a country that soon wants to join the European Union. Italy, the Ultra leader announced, would set up identification and reception centers in Albania for migrants rescued by its rescue teams in the Mediterranean. The agreement signed with his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama, which is due to come into force in 2024, represents a real leap in the project of covert deportation of migrants and the outsourcing of detention centers in order to reduce pressure within the country’s borders and avoid popular rejection avoid. Italy is following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom, which approved the sending of asylum seekers to Rwanda in 2022. The measure was initially stopped by the courts but was later approved by the Supreme Court of England and Wales, although there is still a legal route to block or give in to the practice.
Meloni could not hide his satisfaction at the agreement reached in Rome. Especially after his record of failures in immigration policy – the area that should theoretically characterize his political project – since taking office a year ago. “Albania confirms itself as a friendly nation and, although not yet part of the European Union, behaves as if it were a member country,” he said this Monday after the signing of the pact in Rome, confirming Italy’s continued support for the “EU enlargement in the Western Balkans”. The harmony between both countries is now complete. In fact, the Albanian leader responded like this: “When Italy calls, Albania is there.” Geography is now Italy’s curse. “Whoever comes to Italy comes to Europe.” In summary, Italy becomes the main sponsor of Albania for its accession to the European Union, a country from which traditionally came part of the immigration that the transalpine country received.
The agreement envisages the creation of centers with a capacity of up to 3,000 people on Albanian territory, which, once operational, will be able to accommodate an annual influx of up to 36,000 migrants from spring 2024. These rooms are essentially used to carry out the initial identification and control procedures as well as the management of asylum applications and the return work of those who do not receive refugee status. Migrants rescued by Italian authorities in the Mediterranean will arrive at these facilities, while those rescued by NGO ships will continue to arrive at Italian ports. Also exempt from the measure are immigrants who arrive on their own on the Italian coast and are cared for there, as well as minors, pregnant women and vulnerable people in need of immediate assistance.
This means that Italy basically sublets these spaces and legally converts them into national territory. “The objectives of the agreement are to combat human trafficking, prevent irregular migration flows and admit only those who really have the right to international protection,” emphasized Meloni. The idea, whose compliance with Community law is doubtful, has already been tried out in the UK (already outside the EU). The project was initially rejected by the courts, which considered that there were “solid reasons to believe that there was a real risk that people sent to this country” would “be sent back to their countries of origin and face persecution there or suffer inhumane treatment.” if “in fact they would have arguments to obtain asylum.” Ultimately, the Supreme Court of England and Wales found the measure to be lawful, but there is still the possibility of an appeal for it to be applied.
Italian reception centers are completely overwhelmed with the latest waves of arrivals. A total of 145,314 migrants have arrived on Italian shores so far this year, significantly more than the 88,095 who arrived during the same period in 2022 and the 54,733 in 2021, according to data updated by the Italian Interior Ministry on June 6 November. One of the hardest hit places is Lampedusa, which was completely overwhelmed with arrivals this summer.
The far-right leader defended the agreement with Albania, even though the country is neither part of the European Union nor the Schengen area and therefore does not take part in the migration pact negotiations with Brussels. “Cooperation between EU and non-EU states is crucial,” he argued, before explaining that the competence of these structures lies with Italy and Albania will be responsible for external monitoring.
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