April 11, 2025, will go down in history as a turning point in Europe’s fight against illegal immigration. On this day, Italy took a bold step by transferring 40 migrants—whose asylum requests were denied—to Italian-managed detention centers in Albania.
This marks the first time an EU nation has relocated rejected asylum seekers to a third country that is neither their homeland nor a transit point, according to legal analysts. The move could set a precedent, especially as the European Commission floats plans for “return centers” in non-EU countries.
The group arrived via military vessel at Shëngjin, an Albanian port 65 kilometers north of Tirana. From there, they were taken to an Italian-run facility for processing before transfer to another center in Gjadër, also under Italy’s control. Details about the migrants’ nationalities remain undisclosed by authorities.
Signed in November 2023, the €800 million Italy-Albania deal has faced hurdles, with the centers sitting largely unused due to legal challenges and pushback from human rights groups. These advocates have stalled efforts to detain new arrivals awaiting processing.
How long those sent to Albania will stay is uncertain, though Italian law allows detention of rejected asylum seekers for up to 18 months.
Megan Benton of the Migration Policy Institute points out that other EU nations, like the Netherlands, are eyeing similar deals with countries such as Uganda.
Italy’s Interior Ministry reports fewer arrivals this year: 11,438 migrants—mostly from Bangladesh, Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt—reached its shores, down from 16,090 in the same period last year.
This development carries weight for Greece. A future government, unburdened by the policies of the current administration, could look to Italy’s example to prioritize national interests and border security.
Source NewsFire.GR