Albania’s Constitutional Court has ruled on a controversial migration agreement with Italy’s far-right government that would use Albania’s territory to establish reception centers for individuals seeking to enter the European Union by sea. We are planning to make a decision.
The court ruled that the deal, which initially accepted about 3,000 people and is expected to take in up to 36,000 a year, violates Albania’s constitution in that it could cede territory to process migrants. A hearing is scheduled to determine whether there are any.
The agreement, announced by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government in November, comes after the number of ship arrivals to Italy increased by 50% last year, from about 104,000 to about 156,000 in 2022. The aim is to reduce the
In mid-December, Albania’s parliament was forced to halt the ratification process for a migration agreement with Italy after the Supreme Court approved the opposition’s request to review the deal’s constitutionality.
The court’s ruling was originally scheduled for Thursday but could be postponed given the judges three months to consider the matter, but the ruling has far-reaching consequences for EU immigration policy. It will be closely monitored due to its potential impact. Externalizing asylum responsibility.
The Guardian reported that the deal had been tacitly approved by the EU, despite criticism from human rights groups.
The international humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières says the deal goes beyond previous agreements between EU member states and non-member states such as Turkiye, Libya and Tunisia.
“The aim is no longer just to prevent people from leaving the country, but to actively prevent people from fleeing or being rescued at sea from gaining safe and prompt access to European territory,” it said in a statement.
In a statement issued when the plan was announced, Dunja Mijatovic, Commissioner of the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Committee, expressed concern that a dangerous precedent could be established, and that certain countries could He said that shifting the blame beyond that point would encourage other countries to follow suit.
He said this could lead to a “domino effect” that weakens international protection regimes both within Europe and globally.
“The memorandum of understanding between Italy and Albania raises several human rights concerns and further strengthens Europe’s worrying trend towards externalizing asylum responsibilities,” Mijatovic said. “This means that Council of Europe Member States are pursuing different models of externalizing asylum as potential ‘quick-fix solutions’ to the complex challenges posed by the arrival of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. It shows a widespread movement towards
Critics liken the deal to the UK-Rwanda deal and say it raises multiple legal issues. Immigration experts have told Italian lawmakers that it is virtually impossible to guarantee equal asylum rights abroad.
In return for support from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Meloni pledged support for the country’s EU membership.