Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy has revealed plans to establish two centers in Albania to house tens of thousands of undocumented migrants, as announced during a news conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Rome.
The centers, set to open next spring, will have the capacity to process up to 36,000 people annually.
These facilities are intended for migrants rescued at sea by Italian vessels and not for those arriving on Italian shores.
Migrants will stay in these centers while Italy assesses their asylum requests. The plan will not apply to pregnant women, children, and vulnerable individuals.
Italy will bear the construction costs for these centers, one located at the port of Shengjin and the other in the Gjader area in north-west Albania.
Security personnel and police officers will be provided by Albania.
Prime Minister Meloni stressed that Albania, though not an EU member state, is already behaving like one and expressed support for Albania’s EU accession.
Albanian Prime Minister Rama highlighted the historical support Italy provided to Albania in the 1990s after the fall of the Communist regime.
He expressed his commitment to assisting Italy in managing the migrant arrivals, acknowledging Italy’s geographical challenge as a gateway to the EU.
Opposition politicians in both Italy and Albania have criticized the agreement. Some view it as frightening and liken it to an “Italian Guantanamo.”
Concerns have been raised about the transparency of the deal, with accusations of treason and disloyalty.
Critics argue that the move reflects Italy’s immigration policies moving in the wrong direction.
They fear that the centers might become similar to the situation on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a primary arrival point for those seeking to reach Europe.
There are concerns about the potential conditions and treatment of migrants in these centers.
Prime Minister Meloni, who leads the right-wing, nationalist Brothers of Italy party, is known for her strong anti-immigration stance.
Despite her government’s efforts to curb illegal immigration, Italy has seen over 145,000 migrants enter the country this year, marking a significant increase compared to the same period in 2021.
In response to the rising number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa, Italy declared a six-month state of emergency in April.
Source-BBC
