Meloni aims to preserve her model of asylum for Albanians.
Italy leads the EU in experimenting with offshore asylum processing, but a court puts a halt to it initially. Prime Minister Meloni persists in managing the Albanian refugee camps, allegedly with a fresh regulation on secure origin nations.
In preparation for an extraordinary council meeting, the Italian right-wing coalition debated maintenance of the two Albanian camps following a significant legal setback. As per "La Repubblica," a vital alteration is shifting the responsibility to determine secure countries of origin from the Foreign Ministry to Meloni's office directly.
A Rome court dictated on Friday that the initially housed asylum seekers in the new camps - 12 men from Bangladesh and Egypt - must immediately return to Italy. The verdict references a European Court of Justice ruling, declaring neither country is safe for origin. Italy's list incorporates 21 nations.
The cabinet meeting originated in the afternoon, with no confirmed announcement regarding "Repubblica" reports. The Meloni administration pledged to challenge the court responsible for immigration's judgment, which may escalate to higher courts. Prime Minister Meloni defiantly assured that the new Albanian camps would remain operational and that the judiciary has no power to choose which countries receive migrants.
Albanian camps remain vacant
Italy, the first EU nation to test offshore asylum processing, draws intense scrutiny from other EU countries, particularly right-wing governments who may adopt the Meloni approach. The court's decision, which aligns with a European Court of Justice judgment, may pose a substantial setback for these nations.
The seven Bangladeshis and Egyptians departed for the Italian seaport of Bari on Saturday from a coast guard vessel, following the previous Friday's court ruling. Their future in Italy now awaits resolution, vacating the Albanian camps once again after mere days of operation.
Italian Vice-Prime Minister Matteo Salvini voiced criticisms towards the judiciary, querying, "Who will face the consequences if one of the 12 perpetrates a crime?" Judge Luciana Sangiovanni upheld her judgment, citing a European Court of Justice ruling maintaining that an EU member can only classify a country as safe if it meets conditions across its entire territory. As such, only migrants from a few nations would be eligible for accommodations in the Albanian camps.
The Italian government plans to amend asylum procedures in third countries, shifting the responsibility for determining secure countries of origin from the Foreign Ministry to Prime Minister Meloni's office. This move comes following a court decision that halted Italy's offshore asylum processing and ordered the immediate return of 12 asylum seekers from Bangladesh and Egypt to Italy, as neither country is considered safe according to a European Court of Justice ruling.
