Amnesty International has called on Italy to terminate its migrant detention agreement with Albania, warning that the arrangement places asylum seekers and migrants at risk and undermines their access to basic human rights protections.
In a briefing published Thursday, the rights organisation examined Italy’s 2023 agreement with Albania and raised concerns about the transfer and detention of migrants outside Italian territory.
Amnesty said hundreds of people have been forcibly transferred to detention facilities in Albania, where restrictions on access to lawyers and courts can make it more difficult for migrants to challenge decisions, seek asylum or obtain legal remedies.
Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, argued that the offshore detention model is primarily designed to deter migration and shift responsibility for processing people seeking protection away from Italy.
According to Amnesty, Italy transferred 74 people directly from international waters to Albania during three operations between October 2024 and January 2025.
Those transfers were halted after Italian courts overturned detention orders. However, Italy subsequently amended the agreement in March 2025, allowing men already detained in Italy and facing expulsion orders to be transferred to Albania.
Amnesty said more than 500 predominantly racialized men have since been sent to the Gjader detention facility under the revised arrangement.
The organisation also documented a series of incidents at the centre. Between April 11 and May 16, 2025, it recorded 42 critical incidents, including at least two attempted hangings, several cases of self-harm and a protest during which three people were injured by broken glass.
Amnesty further accused the Italian government of limiting independent monitoring and parliamentary oversight of the facilities.
Although migrants detained in Albania remain under Italian jurisdiction, the organisation said their physical separation from Italy and limited access to legal assistance, courts and other safeguards could weaken their ability to exercise their rights.
Amnesty therefore urged Rome to end the agreement, reduce reliance on immigration detention and ensure migrants have access to effective asylum procedures and humane reception conditions within Italy.
The five-year Italy-Albania agreement took effect in February 2024. Italy has reportedly allocated more than €670 million ($783 million) to operate the arrangement through 2028.
The deal has become a closely watched example of Europe’s growing interest in processing or detaining migrants outside national territory, amid efforts by governments to discourage irregular migration and accelerate returns.