The European Union is now closely monitoring how migrants are being treated at repatriation centers in Italy and at migrant centers in Albania that Italy manages. This decision comes after new reports raised concerns about poor living conditions and human rights violations in these facilities.
Magnus Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, said the European Commission has received a report from the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee. The report was based on visits to several repatriation centers (CPRs) in Italy, including those in Milan, Rome, Potenza, and Gradisca last year. According to Brunner, the report was discussed with Italy through a special working group focused on repatriations.
He added that after a Schengen evaluation in 2021, the Council of Europe made several recommendations to Italy about how to improve detention conditions for migrants. The EU is now carefully checking if Italy is following those recommendations.
One major issue is Italy’s partnership with Albania. Under a recent agreement, Italy opened two facilities in Albania to process asylum requests from migrants rescued in the Mediterranean. However, Amnesty International and other human rights groups argue that sending migrants to a non-EU country like Albania could break EU law and violate migrants’ rights.
Amnesty International criticized the Italian government in its latest human rights report. It claimed the government tried to discredit judges who ruled against migrant detentions in Albania, possibly threatening the independence of the courts. Amnesty also said Italy continues to support migrant detention in Libya, even though there’s strong evidence of abuse there.
The European Court of Justice is now reviewing whether the Italy-Albania deal is legal. The case started in February after some Italian courts questioned the legality of sending migrants to Albania and holding them in facilities outside Italian territory.
The Amnesty report also pointed out terrible conditions in the CPRs. Migrants are being held in empty cages, forced to sleep on concrete furniture, and use inadequate bathrooms. These living standards do not meet international human rights rules.
Finally, the report mentioned that Italy also restricts rescue groups that help save lives at sea. Three UN special procedures have raised alarms about how Italy is limiting these humanitarian activities, which are meant to protect vulnerable migrants crossing dangerous waters.