Italy made history on Monday by initiating the first-ever European transfer of Mediterranean migrants to Albania, sparking criticism from human rights groups.
Sixteen male migrants were rescued by Italian authorities in international waters and are now being transported to Albania aboard the Italian navy’s Libra patrol vessel.
These migrants, 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt, were rescued from boats that had departed from Libya. Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who took office in October 2022, made a deal with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to process asylum-seekers in Albania as part of efforts to curb irregular migration.
The migrants will undergo initial screening at sea before being transferred to a center in Albania for registration and health checks. However, concerns have been raised by human rights groups about the protection offered to asylum-seekers in Albania.
Despite government assurances of providing “light detention” centers, questions remain about the facilities’ capacity and conditions. The scheme, viewed with interest by other European countries, aims to ease pressure on Italy’s migrant reception centers amid a decrease in migrant arrivals in the country.