Italy to continue migrant detention plan in Albania despite legal challenges – Firstpost

Italy’s government reaffirmed on Monday its commitment to a controversial plan to detain asylum seekers in centers established in Albania, pledging to explore “innovative” ideas with allies to contain irregular migration to Europe.

The plan, spearheaded by right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was formalized last year through an agreement with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. The initiative aims to deter migrant crossings from Africa by relocating individuals intercepted at sea to the Balkan nation.

However, the scheme has faced legal challenges. Recent court rulings questioned its alignment with EU law, leading to the transfer of the first two groups of migrants back to Italy and leaving the Albanian facilities vacant.

After Meloni met her top ministers on Monday her office said they had ”reiterated the firm intention to continue working, together with the EU partners … on the so-called ’innovative solutions’ to the migration phenomenon.”

Only male migrants coming from a government-drafted list of safe countries are eligible to be sent to Albania. They can then be repatriated more quickly after a fast-tracked examination, and in most cases rejection, of their asylum applications.

Last week, the Italian Supreme Court said the government had the right to say which countries can be listed as safe for repatriation. Meloni said the ruling strengthened the government’s conviction the Albanian scheme would go ahead.

At Monday’s meeting she informed ministers of ”the strong consensus” over the need for new strategies to tackle immigration that emerged during a meeting with other EU nations in Brussels last week, the statement from her office said.

The final word on the Italian plan is likely to come from the EU’s Court of Justice (ECJ), in a ruling that is expected some time in the next few months.

With inputs from agencies.