By V. E. K. Madhushani, Jadetimes News
Bilateral Agreement Aims to Manage Migration Flow, Faces Criticism and Scrutiny
Italy, the European Union country with the highest number of migrant arrivals, has initiated a novel approach to address this challenge by opening the first of two planned migrant camps in neighboring Albania. This initiative marks Europe's first "offshoring" scheme, designed to manage up to 3,000 migrants per month rescued en route to Italy.
Located in the northern Albanian port of Shengjin, the first camp officially opens today. A second camp, situated at a former air force base in nearby Gjader, is expected to open later. These facilities, constructed and fully managed by the Italian government, will house migrants intercepted in international waters, though women, children, and vulnerable individuals will not be accommodated there.
Migrants housed at these centers will be allowed to request asylum in Italy. If their requests are denied, they will be returned to countries deemed safe. "Italian and European legislation will be applied in these centres," stated Fabrizio Bucci, Italy’s ambassador to Albania. "It’s like having a centre in Italy but in Albania."
The agreement, signed by the Italian and Albanian Prime Ministers, is set to last for five years, with an option to extend if it proves effective in reducing the migrant burden on Italy and deterring attempts to cross the Mediterranean. So far this year, Italy has seen around 31,000 arrivals by sea, a significant decrease from the same period in 2023.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who campaigned on a promise to curb migration, has championed this plan. However, the project has faced criticism for its high cost, estimated at over €650 million (£547 million). "It’s an excessive cost to detain a limited number of migrants," said Riccardo Magi, an MP with the left wing +Europa party. Magi also raised concerns about the treatment of migrants and the potential inability of rescuers to properly screen individuals for vulnerabilities.
The RSF has not commented on the attack, which comes after Gen Burhan’s government agreed to conditionally join them at US mediated peace talks next month. Previous talks to end the conflict, which has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis, have failed as both sides have refused to honor their commitments.
Italy's ambassador in Tirana, Fabrizio Bucci, defended the initiative, stating, "It’s one of the elements that migrants and smugglers will have to factor in. We’ve been trying to redistribute migrants throughout the EU and it hasn’t worked. So why not try to chart a new way?"
Fifteen EU members, led by Denmark, have expressed support for the outsourcing of migration management. UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also praised the Italy Albania agreement after meeting with both Prime Ministers. However, the deal differs significantly from the UK's previously proposed arrangement with Rwanda. Under the Rwanda deal, Rwanda would have managed the asylum requests and centers, offering asylum to successful applicants and deporting failed ones to third countries. In contrast, the Albania deal keeps the entire process under Italian jurisdiction.
Albania sees potential benefits from this arrangement, including bolstered relations with Italy as it negotiates European Union membership. However, the deal has faced skepticism. Vladimir Karaj, a journalist with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, noted that the announcement came as a "complete surprise" given Albania's previous stance against such agreements. While there have been minor protests, Karaj suggests that other Western countries may look to Albania for similar arrangements.
"Albania needs the support it can get from the west," Karaj explained. "If western governments like the UK or Germany see this as a solution, it may be challenging for Albania to limit the arrangement to Italy alone."
