Albania's Constitutional Court on
Monday approved a controversial accord with Italy to set up
Italian-run centres to process thousands of migrants rescued by
Italy in the Med in the Adriatic country each year..
The agreement, signed by Premier Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian
counterpart Edi Rama in Rome in November, provides for the
reception and processing of up to 3,000 migrants and refugees
rescued by Italian ships per month.
People with special needs such as the elderly, children or
pregnant women, migrants and refugees who have been rescued by
NGO-run ships and people who land directly on Italian soil are
to be excluded from the deal.
In December the Albanian constitutional court suspended the
ratification of the deal in the Albanian parliament pending a
decision on challenges to the plan.
Since taking office in autumn 2022 the Meloni government has
been reaching out to third countries in a bid to stem irregular
migration by sea to Italy, which in 2023 rose by around 50% over
the previous year.
The Italian opposition has slammed the deal as creating a new
Guantanamo and allegedly breaching the Italian Constitution,
charges the government rejects.
Some other EU countries have said it is a model that could be
emulated.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
