Italy’s hard-right government is moving forward with plans to establish two migrant processing centers in Albania, scheduled to open in October. These centers will process men rescued at sea while attempting to reach Italy, as part of a strategy to curb the number of migrants arriving on Italian shores. The government claims the initiative aims to combat human trafficking and ensure only legitimate asylum seekers enter the European Union.
However, the plan has faced backlash from human rights organizations and legal challenges. On Friday, the European Court of Justice ruled that offshoring migrants to countries deemed “safe” by Italy but not by the EU is illegal. Despite the ruling, which is non-binding, Italy and Albania are still permitted to proceed with the plan.
The migrant processing centers will be located in the Albanian cities of Shengjin and Gjader. Originally set to open in May 2024 after a bilateral agreement was signed in November 2023, construction delays and bureaucratic hurdles postponed the launch. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed that the centers will now open in October, citing necessary reinforcements to the construction sites as the cause of the delay.
This controversial move has intensified debates surrounding migration policies in Europe, particularly regarding the treatment of asylum seekers and the legality of outsourcing migration processing to non-EU countries.
