Albanian Constitutional Court approved A migration deal with Italy on Tuesday established a migrant processing center in Albania under Italian jurisdiction and allows Italy to send migrants rescued by Italian ships at sea to Albania. These centers will jointly house up to 3,000 detained migrants at any given time.
According to Human Rights Watch, more than 85,000 people had arrived in Italy by sea by the end of October 2022. The report said “continued failure to ensure adequate equipment and prompt transportation” led to regular overcrowding at a reception center on the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2022.
Human rights groups such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Amnesty International (AI) have criticized the agreement. IRC called the deal “costly, cruel and counterproductive” and AI said it was “illegal and unworkable” [and that] It must be discarded. ”
IRC Italy Country Director Susanna Zanfrini criticized the Italian government for failing to establish a “humane, sustainable and efficient approach to asylum and migration”. She said such actions deter individuals from seeking asylum in Italy and do not create effective solutions.
On January 22nd, AI called on Italian lawmakers to reject the deal. Matteo de Bellis, an AI migration and asylum researcher, said:
In Italy, rather than ratifying this harmful agreement, [members of Parliament] Instead, it should support measures to ensure adequate reception in Italy and access to effective asylum procedures. [] Safe and regular access routes.
AI also raised concerns about the protection of children and pregnant women, as the agreement did not specify how to assess an individual’s vulnerability.
Refoulement is prohibited under international refugee law and European law. This practice involves sending individuals to countries where they are at risk of human rights violations. The principle of non-refoulement is incorporated in Article 78(1) of International Law. Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Articles 18 and 19 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The European Court of Human Rights has previously criticized Italy for violating the principles. Hirsi Jammer et al vs. Italy In 2012.