The Italian Senate today ratified a detention agreement with Albania. People rescued or picked up by Italian ships in distress at sea will now be automatically taken to two Albanian detention centers.
The Italian Parliament has given the green light to an arbitrary detention agreement that will harm thousands of people who will be taken to Albania and automatically arrested after being rescued from dangerous situations at sea.
People landing in Albania and taken to centers there, including refugees and asylum seekers, would be automatically detained and would not be able to leave the centers for a maximum period of 18 months. Under international law, automatic detention is arbitrary and therefore illegal.
“The agreement also stipulates that people will be kept on boats for days until they are brought to Albania. This dangerous distortion of search and rescue rules puts lives at risk. The Italian government's decision is shameful. The agreement harms people who are already in a vulnerable situation,” said Matteo De Bellis, migration and asylum expert at Amnesty International.
It is high time that European institutions recognize that the agreement between Italy and Albania creates an illegal and harmful system that must be stopped. Instead of increasing people's suffering, authorities must guarantee access to an effective asylum process, humane reception and safe and regular routes.
Matteo De Bellis, migration and asylum expert at Amnesty International