Italian Parliament Backs Sending Illegal Migrants to Albania
The Italian parliament on Wednesday approved an agreement with Albania that provides for the transfer of illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean to two specially created reception centres in Albania.
In the lower house of parliament, the agreement, which was signed in November by the governments of Italy and Albania, was supported by 155 deputies, 115 were against it, and two abstained.
The draft law is now being sent to the Senate, where it is expected to be supported.
The agreement between Italy and Albania provides for the creation of two reception centres for illegal migrants, which will be able to accommodate up to 3,000 people at a time, including "migrants rescued at sea" for "rapid processing of applications for asylum or possible repatriation," the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said after the signing of the agreement.
Albanian authorities said that the agreement is in line with previous agreements with the Italian government, international laws governing the rights of illegal asylum seekers, and the country's constitution.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called the agreement a gesture of solidarity with Italy, which opened its borders to thousands of Albanians after the fall of the communist regime in the early 1990s.
In December, the Albanian Constitutional Court suspended the ratification procedure in the Albanian parliament, where Rama's party has a solid majority. This month, the court began to examine whether the agreement violates the Albanian constitution.
The judges have until 6 March to make a decision, but it could happen sooner "given the interest of both Albania and Italy in the case," informed sources said.
As previously reported by The Gaze, last July Albania agreed to set up centres for tens of thousands of potential illegal migrants rescued at sea and heading for Italy. The centres will fall under Italian jurisdiction and have three main goals: to combat human trafficking and illegal migration, and to accept only those who are eligible for international protection.
According to Maloney, the centres are expected to start operating in the spring of 2024.