Court ruling is setback for Italy’s plan to send asylum seekers to Albania
Al Jazeera
Under the deal, people from ‘safe’ countries are to be held in Albania while their claims for asylum are processed.
Seven asylum seekers have been sent back to Italy from Albania after a court in Rome refused a formal request to detain them in the Balkan nation, a setback for a contentious programme championed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The decision on Monday related to the case of seven people from Bangladesh and Egypt who were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by the Italian navy while trying to make their way to Europe. They were brought to Italy overnight, a few days after their arrival in Albania.
According to a five-year deal agreed to by Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Albania would allow Italy to run two processing centres on its territory with the capacity to screen up to 3,000 people a month to determine if they qualify for asylum or should be returned to their home countries.
Rights groups have criticised the agreement as a dangerous precedent and questioned whether it complies with international laws.
The first 12 asylum seekers sent to Albania were returned to Italy after another court decision in October, shortly after the screening centres were opened.
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