Politics European Court of Justice examines Meloni's "Albania model"
The proceedings at the European Court of Justice concerning the controversial "Albania model" of Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have entered the final phase.
25.02.2025, 19:52
SDA
In the dispute over the rapid deportation of Mediterranean refugees, the Grand Chamber has now heard the parties involved in an oral hearing. In the next step, Advocate General Jean Richard de la Tour intends to present a non-binding legal opinion on the case on April 10. A ruling is then expected in May or June. There is no fixed date for this yet.
In the proceedings, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) must clarify whether - and if so, under what conditions - asylum applications may be decided in camps outside the EU. The decision is eagerly awaited, particularly in Italy, but also by many other EU governments.
Meloni is the first European head of government to have financed camps in a non-EU country at a cost of many millions of euros. However, the two facilities in Albania have practically always been empty since they opened in October because Italian courts have halted the plans. No one has been deported from there so far.
Not a single migrant deported so far
Meloni has led a coalition of three right-wing parties since the fall of 2022, which has declared the fight against irregular migration to be one of its most important goals. In particular, this involves the flight of hundreds of thousands of people across the Mediterranean, often on barely seaworthy boats.
The plan is actually to stop migrants on the high seas before they arrive in Europe and bring them to Albania. There, Italian officials will then make a decision in a fast-track procedure. The aim is to deport them quickly.
However, the Italian model has not worked once so far: the judiciary in Rome has already stopped the plans in three proceedings since October. All 66 men who have been detained in Albania so far have had to be brought to Italy. Meloni and her right-wing coalition accuse the national judiciary of blocking the project for political reasons. The judges have repeatedly rejected this.
Only for adult men from safe third countries
The camps are only intended for adult men who come from so-called safe third countries - not for women and minors. It is now to be clarified whether a government is allowed to draw up a list of safe third countries itself or whether it can only set criteria for this.
Specifically, the ECJ is dealing with two men from Bangladesh whose asylum applications were rejected in a fast-track procedure. From the perspective of the government in Rome, Bangladesh is a safe third country. However, the competent Italian court doubts the legality of the corresponding decree and has therefore referred the matter to the ECJ.
