Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni aims to deter illegal immigration with renewed policy, amidst criticism from human rights groups.
Italy Resumes Controversial Migrant Transfers to Albania Amid Judicial Challenges
Italy Resumes Controversial Migrant Transfers to Albania Amid Judicial Challenges
Italy restarts its program to send migrants to Albania, but faces backlash and legal hurdles.
Italy has reignited its contentious scheme to send asylum seekers to Albania, as announced by the Italian Interior Ministry on Sunday. This comes several months after judicial hurdles blocked the initial transfers. The government confirmed that an Italian Navy vessel carried 49 migrants to facilities built in Albania, having intercepted them at sea before they could reach Italian shores.
The initiative to assess asylum seekers outside the country is a key facet of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration, which she argues will help combat illegal immigration and discourage perilous Mediterranean crossings. The revival of the program follows the government's move to alter jurisdiction away from the judges in Rome, whose ruling previously halted the initial transfers of 12 migrants in October, stating that sending individuals from Bangladesh and Egypt—countries deemed unsafe—ran afoul of legal norms.
In light of the court’s challenges, Meloni's government has since compiled a new list of countries it classifies as safe for migrant transfers. While details regarding the origins of the current groups being sent to Albania have not been disclosed, officials asserted they are from nations identified as safe.
Despite the government's insistence on the program's integrity, it has faced significant opposition from human rights advocates and various political factions, denouncing it as inhumane and financially imprudent. Nonetheless, some European leaders view Italy’s approach as a innovative framework for addressing migration amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, praised the initiative as a “creative trust” focused on equitable responsibility sharing with third nations.
The ruling by the judges in Rome has sparked a contentious exchange between the judiciary and Meloni's administration, with judges now seeking clear guidance from the European Court of Justice to determine the criteria for classifying a country as safe. This court will address the matter in the following month. In Italy, the jurisdiction over who qualifies to be sent to Albania has transferred to a Rome appellate court.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty, Meloni has vowed to advance the policy “regardless of the opposition." Her commitment was underscored during a recent party meeting, where she proclaimed her determination for the Albanian centers to function effectively. "I will be devoted to this case, relentlessly, until the very end of my time in office," she stated resolutely.
The initiative to assess asylum seekers outside the country is a key facet of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration, which she argues will help combat illegal immigration and discourage perilous Mediterranean crossings. The revival of the program follows the government's move to alter jurisdiction away from the judges in Rome, whose ruling previously halted the initial transfers of 12 migrants in October, stating that sending individuals from Bangladesh and Egypt—countries deemed unsafe—ran afoul of legal norms.
In light of the court’s challenges, Meloni's government has since compiled a new list of countries it classifies as safe for migrant transfers. While details regarding the origins of the current groups being sent to Albania have not been disclosed, officials asserted they are from nations identified as safe.
Despite the government's insistence on the program's integrity, it has faced significant opposition from human rights advocates and various political factions, denouncing it as inhumane and financially imprudent. Nonetheless, some European leaders view Italy’s approach as a innovative framework for addressing migration amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, praised the initiative as a “creative trust” focused on equitable responsibility sharing with third nations.
The ruling by the judges in Rome has sparked a contentious exchange between the judiciary and Meloni's administration, with judges now seeking clear guidance from the European Court of Justice to determine the criteria for classifying a country as safe. This court will address the matter in the following month. In Italy, the jurisdiction over who qualifies to be sent to Albania has transferred to a Rome appellate court.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty, Meloni has vowed to advance the policy “regardless of the opposition." Her commitment was underscored during a recent party meeting, where she proclaimed her determination for the Albanian centers to function effectively. "I will be devoted to this case, relentlessly, until the very end of my time in office," she stated resolutely.
