Europe migrant crisis: Italy to construct migrant centres in Albania

• Italy to construct migrant centres after European migrant crisis in Albania.
• Giorgia Meloni stated that Italy will construct two facilities.
• The plan will apply to migrants rescued at sea by Italian vessels.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that Italy will construct two facilities in Albania to accommodate tens of thousands of undocumented migrants.

She announced during a news conference in Rome with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, revealing that the centers, set to open next spring, would be capable of processing up to 36,000 individuals annually.

The plan will apply to migrants rescued at sea by Italian vessels and not to those arriving on Italian shores. The migrants will stay in the centers while Italy evaluates their asylum requests, with exceptions for pregnant women, children, and vulnerable individuals.

The facilities will be able to house 3,000 people each month and will be constructed at Italy’s expense in the port of Shengjin and the Gjader area in north-west Albania, with Albania providing security personnel and police officers.

Prime Minister Meloni highlighted Albania’s behavior, stating that although it is not an EU member state, “it is already behaving like one.” She expressed her support for Albania’s entry into the EU.

Prime Minister Rama emphasized the strong ties between Italy and Albania, noting that Italy had helped Albania in the 1990s after the fall of the Communist regime. He recognized the difficulties Italy faces and the need to manage migrant arrivals as an EU issue.

Both Italian and Albanian opposition politicians have criticized the agreement. Critics argue that the centers could become similar to “a sort of Italian Guantanamo,” with concerns about transparency and the legality of shipping rescued migrants outside the EU.

Andrea Costa, president of the migrant aid association Baobab Experience, expressed concern that the Italian government’s immigration policies were heading in the wrong direction and that the centers could become like “a Lampedusa in the Albanian hinterland,” referring to the main arrival port for people seeking to reach Europe.

Prime Minister Meloni, known for her anti-immigration stance, has introduced several measures to combat illegal immigration, including the detention of irregular migrants.

However, over 145,000 migrants have entered Italy this year, a significant increase from the same period in 2021, leading to a state of emergency declaration in response to the rising numbers of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.

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