Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is in a difficult situation as she tries to save her controversial plan to manage irregular migrants by housing them in centers in Albania. The plan was recently blocked by Italian courts, which ordered the first group of migrants sent to Albania to be transported back to Italy. This court decision creates big problems for Meloni’s efforts to control migration in a new way, modeled to solve a long-standing issue in Italy and potentially in Europe.
Meloni’s promise to reduce the number of migrants arriving in Italy through tough measures has faced many difficulties since she came to power. Her plan, which she had hoped would be an innovative solution, involved working with Albania to set up centers that could house up to 3,000 healthy male migrants from countries considered “safe.” Their asylum applications would be processed in these centers, keeping them outside of Italy while the process took place.
Last week, the plan officially began when 16 migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt arrived in Albania. However, things quickly went wrong. Four of the men were sent back to Italy, two because they were suspected to be minors, and two for medical reasons. Then, on Friday, an immigration court in Rome ruled that the remaining 12 men should also be sent back to Italy, citing a European Court of Justice decision that countries cannot be only “partially safe.” This ruling strikes a blow to Meloni’s plan.
The opposition parties in Italy, which have been critical of the Albania deal from the beginning, are now even more vocal. They argue that the money spent on the centers, which has already reached an estimated €60 million, is being wasted. They see the deal as a political move that was never going to work, and the court’s ruling gives them more fuel for their arguments.
Despite the setback, Meloni’s government remains determined to push ahead. At a cabinet meeting, they will discuss how to make the legal basis for designating “safe” countries stronger. The goal is to ensure that future groups of migrants can stay in Albania without being sent back to Italy. This legal battle is not just important for Meloni, but also for other EU leaders who have shown interest in using a similar model to manage migration.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that Brussels will learn from Italy’s experience with the Albania scheme. As the EU continues to explore new ways to deal with migration, Meloni’s plan could still play a role if the legal issues are resolved.
In the meantime, the fate of Italy’s Albania migrant scheme is uncertain. With courts questioning its legality and opposition parties criticizing its costs, the plan may need major adjustments if it is to succeed.