Politics First migrants expected in "Meloni Land" in Albania

After months of delay, the Italian right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni is getting serious: on Wednesday, Italy became the first country in the European Union to begin accepting migrants who had made their way to Europe via the Mediterranean into camps outside the EU. The first group of 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh are expected to arrive in Albania on an Italian naval vessel.

There, Italian officials will examine and decide on their asylum applications in a fast-track procedure. If the application is rejected, they will also be deported from Albania. They will only be allowed to return to Italy if they are granted asylum.

This means that the agreement negotiated by Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama last year is now officially in force. It provided for the establishment of reception centers on Albanian soil so that Rome can process asylum procedures for migrants there extraterritorially. In this way, Meloni wants to outsource asylum procedures from Italy and simplify deportations. However, Meloni also emphasized that the refugee camps should serve as a deterrent.

Only men from safe countries of origin affected

This affects men from countries classified as safe countries of origin who have been picked up by Italian authorities' ships on their way across the Mediterranean to Europe. Before they are brought to Albania, they undergo an initial check on board. Women, children, sick people and victims of torture are exempt from this.

According to the plans, the migrants taken on board in the Mediterranean will first be taken to the camp at the Adriatic port of Shengjin for an initial check. They will then be taken to the main camp in Gjader in the interior of the country to await their asylum decision.

The opening of the two refugee camps on Albanian soil was originally planned for May, but was delayed several times due to various technical problems on site and organizational difficulties. They officially opened on Friday.

Camps cost Italy a total of 670 million euros

Italy manages the camps and ensures their security. Rome also bears all "direct and indirect" costs. They are therefore Italian camps on Albanian soil. Newspapers in Italy therefore mocked the idea of a "Meloni country". The two camps will cost Italy a total of around 670 million euros over a period of five years.

Italy is one of the countries particularly affected by the movement of refugees from Africa to Europe via the Mediterranean. The numbers were particularly high last year: almost 160,000 migrants reached Italy's shores on boats in 2023. Currently, fewer than half as many people are arriving than a year ago. Nevertheless, tens of thousands are still making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean on boats that are often barely seaworthy.

EU states are closely monitoring the outsourcing of asylum procedures

The agreement on the handling of asylum procedures in third countries is a first that is being closely followed by other EU states. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) described it as an "interesting model". She announced that she would incorporate the experience gained from the project into her deliberations on the possibility of such procedures. However, the Minister is of the opinion that, in addition to legal issues, the most relevant factor is whether there is a state that would be prepared to tolerate such procedures on its territory.

According to Rama, he has already received many requests from other EU countries to accommodate asylum seekers in Albania. However, he has turned these down, but has made an exception for Italy. A success from Meloni's point of view. At the EU summit of European heads of state and government on Thursday, the Prime Minister should therefore be able to appear stronger. The topic of migration is likely to play an important role there.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also shown interest in the project. In a report before the summit, the German politician suggested "exploring possible ways of developing return centers outside the EU". Practical lessons could be learned from the Italy-Albania model.

Criticism of legality and conditions for migrants

Human rights activists, on the other hand, criticize the project and speak of an "Italian Guantánamo". Its legality is also being questioned. A ruling by the European Court of Justice casts doubt on the project. According to this ruling, a country can only be considered safe if, among other things, there is no persecution or torture there. However, 15 of the 22 countries of origin classified as safe by Italy do not meet these conditions.