Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced a landmark Memorandum of Understanding at a press conference in the autumn of 2023. This agreement, focused on migration management, allowing Italy to establish two processing centres in Albania for illegal migrants, became a hot political topic in Albania in the coming months. The agreement was supposed to highlight the strong bilateral relationship and shared goals between Italy and Albania, further reinforcing Albania’s role as a key European partner. However, as of early fall 2024, the camps are still not operational even though almost all the necessary steps to start the project have been taken.
Details of the Memorandum
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni previously announced that the new migrant processing centres in Albania should open by next spring (spring 2024), with an initial capacity to house 3,000 individuals. Once fully operational, the facilities were expected to process up to 36,000 people annually. The reason for this deal was the increased pressure on her government, due to rising illegal migration, a key issue for her far-right Brothers of Italy party. By the time of the announcement, over 145,000 migrants had arrived in Italy, a significant increase from 88,000 arrivals in 2022.
Meloni also initially announced that the migrant centres will be constructed at the Albanian ports of Shengjin and Gjader, and will fully comply with EU and international law. One facility was planned to handle migrants rescued at sea, while the other was supposed to house those eligible to seek asylum in the European Union. The fate of individuals not meeting asylum criteria remained unclear, but Meloni’s government has emphasised swift deportation as a deterrent to reduce the flow of migrants attempting to reach Italy.
Amnesty International has initially condemned this plan and accused parties of refoulement. The organization argued that the scheme violates international law by outsourcing responsibility for asylum seekers and exposing migrants to potential human rights abuses. Amnesty claimed that such a move undermines European principles of solidarity and shifts the burden onto countries like Albania. Additionally, they highlighted concerns about Albania’s capacity to properly handle and protect the rights of these individuals.
State of the deal in Autumn 2024
At the beginning of August, media reported that Italy is finalizing plans to open the first of two planned migrant camps in the port of Shengjin, marking the EU’s first offshoring migration plan. Opening of the second camp was, however, delayed. Two camps, once they are open, are supposed to host up to 3,000 male adult migrants and should be governed and paid for by Italy and Italian law. If they are not granted asylum, they should be deported to their countries of origin.
According to Albanian media, the newly established camps are expected to accommodate up to 36,000 asylum seekers each year. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has denied allegations that this initiative was aimed at securing advantages for Albania in its bid for European Union accession. “When we decided to make the migration agreement, we decided based on the sense of responsibility as neighbours, as Europeans. Of course, we are not Europeans within the EU, but we are still Europeans and this cannot be denied. This is something we did instead of doing nothing. So is it new or not new, is it innovative or not innovative, will it work or won’t it, that’s all to be seen, but surely it’s better than just fighting ideologically on this matter and doing nothing” claimed Rama.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned that the deal will be counterproductive and costly. They argue that male illegal migrants will seek entry to the EU through other routes, which might be more dangerous. IRC also claims that the initial budget of €650 million will not be sufficient, and costs will attack €1 billion.
In late September, Meloni claimed that UK Labour leader Keir Starmer showed significant interest in Italy’s migration deal with Albania during their recent meeting. Starmer supposedly praised the initiative, seeking insights into potential solutions for the UK’s ongoing immigration challenges. Steamer was probably looking for an alternative to the scrapped Rwanda asylum plan, which was also aiming to help the UK with migrants. As a reaction, Rama has emphasised that Albania’s migrant agreement with Italy is exclusive to Italy and not open to other countries. The Albanian Prime Minister also claims that Tirana has no discussions with other countries related to similar migrant deals.
Author: Richard Straka
Source: Canva
