Italy Transfers Rejected Asylum Seekers to Albania
Italy has sent 40 asylum seekers awaiting deportation to detention centers in Albania—marking the first time an EU member state has relocated rejected migrants to a non-EU country that was neither their origin nor a transit point.
The group, consisting of men of various nationalities, arrived Friday at the port of Shëngjin aboard an Italian navy ship. They will be held at a nearby facility in Gjadër, a former military base secured with high fences and surveillance cameras. The duration of their detention remains unclear, though Italian law permits holding rejected asylum seekers for up to 18 months pending deportation.
Legal Challenges and Shift in Strategy
The two Italian-run centers in Albania were initially opened in October 2023 as part of a controversial agreement between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Albanian counterpart Edi Rama. The plan aimed to process asylum claims for migrants intercepted at sea before repatriating those denied protection.
However, Italian courts repeatedly blocked the transfers, ruling that asylum seekers must be processed on Italian soil. Facing legal setbacks, Meloni’s government pivoted in late March, repurposing the Albanian facilities to detain migrants whose asylum applications had already been rejected.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and legal experts. Francesco Ferri, a migration specialist with ActionAid, called the transfers "unacceptable," noting that neither Italian nor EU law explicitly permits deporting rejected asylum seekers to third countries.
A Costly and Contested Policy
The €800 million bilateral deal, signed in November 2023, has faced persistent legal and logistical hurdles. Of the 73 migrants initially transferred last year, all were swiftly returned to Italy after courts refused to validate their detention abroad.
Meloni’s government had originally envisioned processing up to 36,000 asylum seekers annually in Albania. Yet Italy’s deportation record remains weak—official data shows just over 4,000 forced returns in 2023, far fewer than France or Germany. Many migrants simply ignore expulsion orders, either staying in Italy or moving elsewhere in Europe.
The government now awaits a ruling from the European Court of Justice, which could determine whether future asylum seekers can be processed in Albania. Meanwhile, rights groups warn the policy sets a dangerous precedent.
“They need to show they are doing something with this incredibly expensive structure,” said Meghan Benton of the Migration Policy Institute, noting that other EU nations, including the Netherlands, have explored similar offshore arrangements.
So far in 2024, 11,438 migrants have reached Italy by sea—down from 16,090 during the same period last year. Whether the "Albania model" contributes to this decline remains uncertain, as legal and humanitarian challenges persist.