A drone view shows an Italian coast guard vessel departing for Italy with migrants, who were intercepted at sea and later detained at a reception facility in Albania, after a court in Rome overturned their detention orders, in Shengjin, Albania, October 19, 2024. [Photo/Agencies]
The Italian government's latest attempt to establish functional migrant camps in Albania saw asylum seekers loaded onto the navy vessel Cassiopea off Lampedusa on Sunday.
The Cassiopea was expected to reach the port of Shengjin on Monday evening or Tuesday morning, despite ongoing legal challenges, reported the Associated Press.
The move revives Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's controversial policy, criticized by rights advocates as a dangerous precedent that conflicts with international laws.
Two months ago, judges in Rome halted operations at the Albanian camps, finding that the government had incorrectly labeled migrants' countries of origin as "safe" to enable offshore processing.
Meloni has since stripped the Rome court of its authority over migrant detention in Albania, following a decision from Italy's highest court in December ruling that "safe country" determinations fall under government, not judicial, jurisdiction.
Political opponents responded angrily on Friday to indications that Italy would reactivate its Albanian refugee program, reported The Times newspaper.
"(These are) trips that cost a lot of money and serve no purpose except for showmanship," Elisabetta Piccolotti, a member of Parliament for the opposition Greens and Left Alliance, said. "A propagandistic attempt to mock the Italians."
Launched in October, Italy's migrant facilities in Albania's Shengjin and Gjader towns were designed to process up to 36,000 asylum seekers annually, focusing on those from safe countries intercepted at sea.
The government maintains that the program's 653-million-euro ($686-million) five-year budget represents a cost-saving measure compared to current migration expenses.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has commended Meloni's "outside the box thinking", encouraging other EU nations to adopt similar approaches.
Yet the initiative faced setbacks when Italian court decisions on safe-country designations forced two groups of migrants, previously sent to Albanian facilities in October and November, to be returned to Italy, creating tensions between the government and judiciary.
The European Court of Justice has received a formal request to resolve who has the authority to designate safe countries, with hearings scheduled next month.
Despite opposition, Meloni remains determined to succeed with the Albanian initiative, declaring at a December party gathering in Rome: "Trust me, the centers in Albania will work."
jonathan@mail.chinadailyuk.com
