Italy has sent its first group of asylum seekers to Albania under a controversial deal that relocates refugees outside the European Union for processing. An Italian naval ship docked in Albania’s Shengjin port on Wednesday, delivering 16 men from Bangladesh and Egypt. This marks the initial batch of asylum seekers under the agreement between Italy and Albania, aimed at handling migration beyond EU borders.
Under this deal, which allows Italy to process up to 36,000 asylum seekers annually in two newly established centers in Albania, refugees intercepted in Italian waters will be screened aboard rescue ships before being transferred to Albania for further review. The plan has been hailed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a bold solution to curb illegal immigration but has faced harsh criticism from rights groups, including Amnesty International, which called the centers a “cruel experiment.”
While vulnerable individuals such as women and children will still be taken to Italy, most men will undergo a fast-tracked asylum process in Albania, overseen by Italian staff and judges who will rule on their cases remotely via video link from Rome.
The agreement, which was signed last November for an initial five-year term, comes amid growing far-right influence across Europe and increasing pressure on EU states to tighten immigration policies. Albania, which will work exclusively with Italy, has said the centers, located in Shëngjin and Gjadër, can accommodate up to 3,000 people at a time.
Despite criticism from organizations like Doctors Without Borders, Meloni has defended the initiative, calling it an “unprecedented” approach that reflects European values. She has suggested that this model could be replicated with other non-EU countries.
The first mission under the deal comes just ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, where migration is set to be a key issue. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has signaled that the EU will “draw lessons” from Italy’s new strategy as the bloc grapples with finding solutions to the ongoing migration crisis.
