The first twelve migrants who were relocated to the newly opened asylum processing center in Gjadër, Albania, were returned to Italy following a decision made on Friday by a court in Rome.
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This ruling marks the first blow to the five-year agreement between Italy and Albania, which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had hailed as a "model" for addressing illegal migration.
However, the Rome court rejected the detention of the twelve migrants, arguing that they could not be sent back to their countries of origin, such as Bangladesh or Egypt, which were deemed unsafe. According to the agreement, Italy had committed to granting asylum to eligible migrants, while those whose applications were rejected would face direct deportation from Albania.
An Italian navy vessel transported the twelve migrants from the port of Shëngjin, where they had arrived earlier this week. Previously, four other migrants were turned away from the processing center—two due to medical reasons and two because they were minors.
Under Italian law, decisions regarding the detention of any migrant must be reviewed by special immigration courts.
Prime Minister Meloni criticized the court’s ruling, stating that labeling countries like Bangladesh and Egypt as unsafe could block the participation of all migrants in the Albania-Italy program, rendering the initiative practically unenforceable. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi also confirmed that the government would appeal the decision.
Speaking to reporters during a trip to Lebanon, Meloni added that she would address the issue in a cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday.