Albania to host no more than 3,000 migrants under deal with Italy
Under the agreement announced this week, Italy will build two migrant reception and detention centres in Albania, able to accommodate a maximum 3,000 people at any time, as evidenced by official documents published on November 8th, Reuters reports
The Italian-Albanian scheme is the first example of a non-EU country accepting migrants on behalf of the EU, the news agency reports, “It has echoes of a controversial attempt by the British government to send thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda.”
“The parties agree that the total number of migrants staying simultaneously on the territory of Albania cannot exceed 3,000 people,” the Italian-Albanian protocol reads.
The agreement was announced by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama. According to them, it is aimed at reducing the number of migrants arriving by sea in Italy. Their number increased by about 65 percent over the year and today exceeded 145 thousand people, the publication says.
The migrant centres will operate under Italian jurisdiction and are due to open in spring 2024. The scheme was condemned by Amnesty International and other human rights groups. The document stipulates that Italy will provide Albania with protection from any costs associated with legal claims against this initiative.
