On Friday, a second group of migrants arrived in Albania at the Port of Shengjin as part of an agreement between Italy and Albania aimed at managing migrant flows. This group, consisting of five Egyptian nationals and three individuals from Bangladesh, was transported by the Italian military vessel “Libra.” Upon arrival, they were directed to a center set up within the port, where they underwent medical checks and identification procedures. This group was intercepted at sea by Italian authorities four days earlier.
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| The Italian ship "Libra" in the port of Shengjin |
This migrant transfer forms part of a larger strategy developed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to curb migration through a bilateral agreement signed last year with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. However, the plan faced challenges recently when a Rome court overturned the decision to detain the first group of 12 migrants sent to Albania while awaiting responses to their asylum requests. The court argued, in line with a previous European Court of Justice ruling, that the migrants could not be returned to their home countries, specifically Bangladesh and Egypt, as these are not considered safe destinations.
According to the agreement, Albania’s Gjadri camp is intended to host only migrants from “safe countries” as defined by Italy’s Foreign Ministry. Initially, this list included 22 countries, but in response to the legal challenges, the Italian government amended the law, reducing the safe country list to 19 states in an effort to strengthen its position in court. Despite this, legal opposition has persisted, with additional court rulings in Rome, Bologna, Catania, and recently in Palermo, contesting the detention of other migrant cases in Italian reception centers.
The next critical decision from the Rome court is anticipated by the coming Sunday, potentially affecting the fate of the migrants who arrived Friday in Shengjin. Due to health concerns, one of the migrants will be sent back to Italy for medical treatment. The outcome of this case may shape the future of the Italian-Albanian migrant management agreement and could set a precedent for similar cases in the region.