SHENGJIN, Albania — An Italian navy ship docked Friday at the Albanian port of Shengjin with eight migrants who will be processed there after they were intercepted in international waters, a month after another group was turned away for failing the vetting process.
It is only the second transfer of migrants since two migrant processing centers opened in October.
The same ship brought the first 16 migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt to Albania. Four were transferred to Italy the same day because they were minors or had health problems. Twelve others were returned to Italy three days later, after a ruling by judges in Rome rejected their detention because their countries of origin – Bangladesh and Egypt – were not safe enough to be returned.
The naval ship Libra, which can carry 200 people in addition to crew, left Italy’s southernmost island, Lampedusa, on Wednesday with eight men on board, Italian media said. Italian Interior Ministry spokesman Francesco Kamel had confirmed that the Libra was on its way to Albania, but declined to provide further information until the operation was completed. He did not say when it would arrive or how many people were on board.
Italian media reported that of the 1,200 migrants who arrived in Lampedusa over the past two days, only eight male adults who traveled without families met Albania’s screening criteria, including that they come from countries considered “safe” for repatriation.
The number of people reaching Italy via the Central Mediterranean migration route – mainly from Bangladesh, Syria, Tunisia and Egypt – fell by 60% in 2024 compared to 2023. According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, as of November 7, 57,767 migrants arrived by sea in 2024.
A court ruling Rome had shortened the list of countries considered “safe” by law, meaning Rome can repatriate migrants from countries that have not been granted asylum through an expedited procedure. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounced the court ruling in Rome, saying that deeming countries such as Bangladesh and Egypt unsafe means almost all migrants would be excluded from the Albania program, making it unworkable.
The Italian Navy ship Libra arrives at the port of Shengjin, northwestern Albania, on Friday, November 8, 2024, intercepting the second group of eight migrants in international waters to be processed in a reception facility, despite the failure of the first group in October. Credit: AP/Vlasov Sulaj
On October 21, Italy’s far-right government approved a new decree aimed at overcoming the legal hurdles that threatened to derail the controversial five-year migration treaty with Albania, which was signed in 2023 by Meloni and her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama.
Under the deal, up to 3,000 migrants intercepted each month by the Italian coast guard in international waters will be sheltered in Albania, and vetted for possible asylum in Italy, or returned to their countries.
Italy has agreed to welcome migrants who are granted asylum, while those whose applications are rejected will be deported directly from Albania.
The agreement to outsource the housing of asylum seekers to a country that is not a member of the European Union, championed by Meloni as a new model to tackle illegal migration, is being praised by some countries that, such as Italy, face a high number of migrants.
The Italian Navy ship Libra, left, approaches the port of Shengjin, northwestern Albania, on Friday, November 8, 2024, intercepting the second group of eight migrants in international waters to be processed in a reception facility there, despite the failure of the first group last month. Credit: AP/Vlasov Sulaj
During a visit to Albania in October, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declined to give her opinion on the agreement, saying only that it was being closely monitored.
Human rights groups and non-governmental organizations active in the Mediterranean have labeled the agreement as a dangerous precedent that violates international law.
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Semini reported from Tirana; Colleen Barry contributed from Milan.