Controversial agreement between Italy and Albania: arrival of the first migrants

A little less than a year after the signing of a controversial agreement between Rome and Tirana, the first Migrants arrested in Italian waters arrived in Albania on Wednesday, an outsourcing of asylum applications never seen before in Europe.

Shortly before ten o'clock, the 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh disembarked from the Libra, an Italian navy ship at the port of Shengjin in northern Albania. Their journey will have lasted more than 36 hours.

– “The European dream” –

About fifteen people were waiting for them on arrival, AFP journalists were able to see, despite the total ban on entering the port. They were escorted by the Italian police, in small groups, to the gates of the center built on site to welcome them, topped with the Italian and European flags.

A few meters away, at the entrance to the port, a handful of activists demonstrated by unfurling a banner reading “The European dream ends here”, as well as photos of the head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, and her counterpart, Edi Rama, made up as police officers.

The 16 men, all rather young according to AFP journalists, must now be registered, photographed. Their identity must be verified, in these prefabricated buildings installed by Italy a few meters from fishing boats and cargo ships, surrounded by high fences and guarded by Italian law enforcement.

They will then be taken 20 km further to the Gjader camp, which can accommodate up to 880 people at a time.

There, installed in 12 m2 prefabricated buildings, also surrounded by high walls, and monitored by cameras and members of the Italian law enforcement, they will be able to submit their asylum applications: ten giant screens have been installed in a court in Rome to allow judges to supervise the hearings. Applicants will communicate with their lawyers by videoconference.

Asylum applications must be approved or rejected within 28 days – those still waiting for a decision after this deadline will be sent to Italy. But this period of time seems difficult to maintain given the slowness of Italian administrative procedures.

A fishing boat passes in front of the ship carrying migrants, port of Shengjin, October 16, 2024 © AFP – Adnan Beci

A 144-bed building will be for those whose applications have been refused and who risk repatriation. A prison built on site will be able to accommodate up to 20 people.

The construction of the two centres cost Italy 65 million euros, double the planned budget. From 2025, the cost of the agreement for Italy is estimated at 160 million euros per year.

These millions “could have been used for public health to reduce waiting lists, while they are being thrown out the window to deport migrants and trample on their rights”, Elly Schlein, leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, castigated in an interview with Corriere della Sera on Wednesday morning.

– “Lessons” –

This outsourcing of asylum applications, a first in Europe, was made possible by a controversial agreement signed in November 2023 between the head of the far-right Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, and the socialist Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama.

It only concerns adult men intercepted by the Italian navy or coastguard in their search and rescue zone in international waters.

Welcoming a “courageous agreement” on Tuesday, Giorgia Meloni also said she was “proud that Italy has become an example to follow from this point of view”, mentioning the interest of the French, German, Swedish and British governments in the Italian policy of managing migration flows.

The agreement has been denounced by many human rights NGOs who see it as a violation of international rules.

It “violates international maritime law and risks further eroding the fundamental rights of refugees”, wrote the NGO SOS Humanity on Tuesday, considering that “this agreement is a new strategy by an EU member state aimed at externalising migration management and thus discharging its responsibility in terms of human rights of refugees”. refugees”.

Earlier this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned in a letter to EU member states a inflammatory proposal to transfer migrants to reception centres in third countries, “return hubs”, calling for “lessons” to be learned from the Italy-Albania deal.

In Shengjin, the Libra left at midday.

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