Albania’s Constitutional Court on Monday approved a controversial agreement signed with Italy to house two detention centers for migrants rescued in Italian waters. But the deal has sparked outrage among politicians and human rights groups in both countries, who say it is “dehumanizing”.
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The deal was condemned by opposition parties and rights groups in both countries, resulting in a legal challenge in Tirana’s Supreme Court.
“This agreement does not undermine Albania’s territorial integrity,” the court said in a statement.
The ruling was announced days after Italian parliamentarians voted in favor of the deal, with the lower house of parliament voting 155 to 115 in favor of the protocol, with two abstentions.
During a parliamentary debate, opposition members accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of using immigration as “election propaganda” and said the project would have little impact on the numbers and cost a huge amount of money.
The document has now been sent to the Italian Senate, where it is expected to be approved.
The agreement allows two centers for migrants to register for asylum near the Albanian port of Moritsu to be established in the same area, as well as a facility to hold people awaiting responses to their applications.
The two Italian-controlled centers can accommodate up to 3,000 people at a time, pending a decision on their applications.
They estimated the cost over the five-year period of the agreement to be more than €650 million.
Albania’s right-wing opposition party called the deal an “irresponsible and dangerous act for national security” and criticized Prime Minister Edi Rama for the lack of transparency surrounding the deal.
“Illegal and unenforceable”
The NGO International Rescue Committee has condemned the agreement as “dehumanizing” and Amnesty International has called it “illegal and unenforceable.”
Albanian authorities said the agreement was in line with previous treaties signed with Italy, international law and the country’s constitution.
“We have no intention of selling Albanian land,” Interior Minister Tauran Bara told French news agency AFP in an interview last month.
“We are offering this land to Italy, just as we normally do when establishing an embassy, for example.”
Jurisdiction within the camp will remain with Italy, but the land will remain in Albanian hands, he added.
Albanian authorities said Italy would pay for the construction of the two centers and the necessary infrastructure, as well as security and medical costs for asylum seekers.
Please stop ships from Africa
Meloni, leader of the far-right Italian Brotherhood party, was elected president in 2022 on a promise to stop migrant boats arriving from North Africa.
However, according to official statistics, the number of migrants landing has increased from about 105,000 in 2022 to about 158,000 in 2023.
On Monday, Meloni welcomed African leaders to a summit where he announced the so-called “Mattei Plan.”
The idea is to position Italy as a vital bridge between Africa and Europe, channeling energy into the north while trading investments in the south for deals aimed at curbing migration.
Meloni said the plan would initially be funded with 5.5 billion euros, part of which would be loans, and that investments would focus on energy, agriculture, water, health and education.
(AFP News)