Italian Migrant Transfers to Albania

Sofia A. Diaz 

Staff Writer 

Italian naval ships comprising of 49 migrants entered Albanian waters on January 26 after Italy resumed its  offshoring and outsourcing policies under far-right Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. Dozens of these migrants, initially seeking the commencement of applications for asylum in Italy, are now awaiting for their applications to be processed at Albanian reception centers located near the Shengjin Port. The Italian Ministry has not specified the ethnic backgrounds of the migrants on board; however, Italian media outlets disclosed that the migrants hailed from Egypt, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh, and The Gambia, according to The Associated Press. 

The Italy-Albania migrant deal was finalized in February 2024 and outlined an initial plan with a five-year timeline. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) says that, together, Italy and Albania estimated that approximately 36,000 migrants a year would be transferred to the Shengjin Port. More specifically, the deal suggests that migrants, through solely the perspective of government policy in Rome rather than in accordance with European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings, should make their return to their countries of origin if deemed safe. However, it is claimed that vulnerable individuals, such as pregnant women and children, will not be affected by the deal. Additionally, asylum seekers who have already successfully obtained asylum in Italy will not be affected by the migrant transfer deal. 

Italy’s Coast Guard and Navy are working simultaneously to rescue asylum seekers at sea and within European Union waters; however, Italian authorities have plans to begin transferring asylum seekers to Albania from outside of EU borders, according to the IRC. Once migrants begin arriving at the Albanian reception centers, they will be checked in before being sent to the Gjader Accommodation Center, Al Jazeera states. 

The migrant transfer deal between Italy and Albania previously encountered hurdles in  jumpstarting the deal and begin implementing its policies. ABC News reports that in both October and November of 2024, Italian judges were not ruling in accordance with the transfer of migrants to Albanian reception centers and ruled that the migrants’ country of origin were not deemed safe enough for their repatriation. 

Moreover, the previous cases were argued in lower Italian courts and refused, then brought to the ECJ, which holds an existing establishment of policies regarding asylum seekers entering the EU. In accordance with EU law, the ECJ deems that migrants applying for asylum cannot be placed through an expedited repatriation process if their countries of origin are recognized as unsafe, Al Jazeera further states. This decision presents lower courts with the ability to either approve or refuse Meloni’s policy implementations in court.

On January 31, an Italian appeals court met to investigate the means of the recent 46 migrants who were transferred to Albanian centers last week. The Associated Press states that the court refused to approve the expedition for repatriation of the migrants detained, deeming the migrant deal to be unlawful and controversial, in that Rome must abide by EU law rather than following Italian government policy. The IRC has additionally warned Italy and Albania regarding the deal, stating that its policies were  counterproductive, cruel, and too costly. 

Italy has attempted and failed to process migrants in Albania three times since the deal was finalized in early 2024. According to The Guardian, after Italy’s financial backing of nearly €1bn for the five-year deal,  many opposers of Meloni’s right-wing policies are distressed with the costliness and continuous failure of the deal. The 46 migrants, who have been rejected for their asylum requests, will be brought back to Italy upon further notice.

Like the previous two cases in October and November, the appeals court has now referred this recent case to the ECJ in Luxembourg. The expected ruling date by the ECJ will be on February 25 to determine whether Italy’s ongoing attempts to implement migrant transfers are adhering to EU law. 

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