Italy transports migrants to Albania for the initial time under a disputed strategy
A group of men, comprising ten Bangladeshis and six Egyptians, were rescued on Sunday from different migrant boats that had departed from Libya some days prior, as per Italy's Coast Guard.
Italy considers Egypt and Bangladesh as among the 22 "safe" countries, a label that generally disqualifies them from obtaining political asylum, except in specific circumstances.
Under the agreement signed between Italy and Albania last year, individuals sent to Albania should not exhibit signs of torture, illness, vulnerability, or be part of nuclear families traveling together. Individuals directly delivered to Italy would fall under EU regulations, leading to a lengthy asylum process.
The men were screened on the Italian Coast Guard ship and subsequently transferred to an Italian Navy vessel, which handed them over to Italian authorities in Albania.
In Albania, they will undergo an expedited asylum application procedure that will take no more than a month, contrasting with Italy's lengthy process, as per the plans announced by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
An Italian judge will evaluate each case via a video link, and immigration lawyers will be accessible in Albania. If denied asylum in Italy, they will be deported back to their native countries at Italy's expense.
The Albanian detention plan was formulated to deter those aiming to reach Europe, as Giorgia Meloni explained after signing the bilateral protocol with her Albanian counterpart last November.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, will have permanent observers at the centers for three initial months to ensure consistency with international and regional human rights norms, Filippo Ungaro, UNHCR's Italy spokesperson, informed CNN on Tuesday.
“UNHCR, which was not involved in the initial talks or language used in the Italy-Albania protocol, has agreed to assume the observing role to guarantee that the protocol is implemented without infringing on the rights and dignity of asylum-seekers,” he said.
“UNHCR staff will have access to, and an opportunity to observe, various stages of the process, including identification, screening, and vulnerability assessment procedures. They will also scrutinize the treatment of relocated persons and the living conditions of asylum-seekers in the centers,” he added.
In the first three-month period, UNHCR will present appraisals and recommendations, which will be publically accessible, he concluded.
The initiative has received severe criticism from human rights groups, who are worried about setting a precedent for countries eager to transfer migrants to third-party nations with less stringent human rights regulations.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) deemed the inauguration of the centers as an unfortunate day for the EU's asylum and migration policies and expressed hope that the Albanian protocol would not establish a model for others.
“Confining individuals behind barbed wire, intentionally obscuring them from public view, is not a practical solution to Europe's migration challenges,” IRC's EU advocacy director, Marta Welander, stated to CNN on Tuesday.
“Even though the number of people reaching Italy by sea has decreased in recent months, the number attempting the hazardous journey to Spain has dramatically increased. These approaches do not prevent people from risking their lives to reach Europe, they merely push them onto more dangerous routes,” Welander explained.
Meloni disregarded the criticisms, stating in Italy's upper house of parliament that she hopes the plan becomes a model for other countries to adopt. “It is a fresh, brave, unexplored path, which mirrors the European spirit and has the potential to serve as a path that other non-EU nations can also embark on,” she asserted on Monday.
Over 1 million migrants have managed to reach Italy by sea from North African ports since 2014, according to Italian government stats and UNHCR.
Over 30,500 individuals have perished or gone missing on the same route since 2014, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration.
The agreement between Italy and Albania is aimed at sending individuals deemed safe to Albania, considering both Egypt and Bangladesh as "safe" countries by Italy. Despite Italy considering a lengthy asylum process, the men rescued from migrant boats will undergo an expedited procedure in Albania, taking no more than a month.
