Anticipated Arrival of Initial Refugees in Albanian Camps
Following a prolonged delay, Italy commences the contentious transfer of migrants to facilities in Albania, a non-EU nation. The Italian Ministry of Interior reportedly announced that the inaugural group of migrants, comprising 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh, will touch down on Albanian soil this Wednesday. These men had embarked upon a journey across the central Mediterranean, aiming for Europe, before being rescued by Italian authorities at sea.
Italy and Albania sealed an accord last year to establish migrant reception centers. Rome intends to handle asylum requests beyond their territory within these facilities. If a request is rejected, the individuals will be instantly expelled from Albania. Alternatively, they will be granted entry into Italy.
This alteration primarily concerns migrants hailing from safe countries, detained while traversing the Mediterranean by Italian authorities. Prior to their transfer to Albania, an initial evaluation of the migrants is conducted on-board. Excluded from this assessment are women, children, the ailing, and those victimized by torture.
The two camps in Shengjin, an Adriatic seaport, and Gjader, an inland locale, officially commenced operations on Friday. The initial launch was slated for May but was postponed several times due to technical difficulties.
Numerous European governments are keeping a close eye on Italy's strategy to process asylum applications within non-EU nation's boundaries. Nancy Faeser, German Interior Minister (SPD), acknowledged it as an "intriguing model." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also voiced her hope to glean practical insights from this approach.
The first group of migrants to be transferred under this new arrangement will be the Egyptians and Bangladeshis, who were rescued by Italian authorities and will arrive in Albania this Wednesday. This transfer marks the implementation of the agreement between Italy and Albania, which aims to handle asylum requests beyond Italian territory.
