Albania’s Constitutional Court will today hold a second hearing on the legality of the country’s recent migration agreement with Italy.
The agreement includes the operation of two facilities to house rescued migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. The facility is planned to accommodate up to 36,000 migrants a year. Controversially, the agreement includes the facility being run by the Italian government despite being located on Albanian territory. The provision has come under criticism from NGOs such as Amnesty International, who say the process is inhumane due to its automatic nature, and from right-wing opposition parties, who say it violates Albania’s sovereignty.
The Constitutional Court’s decision is expected to be handed down in March. The court is likely to rule in the government’s favor, as a similar review at EU level found the deal was in line with local law. If implemented, the deal could give the EU new and useful tools to control migration flows and reduce pressure on processing and detention facilities in southern Italy. A positive ruling could also prompt similar agreements with non-EU countries on the processing and detention of extraterritorial migrants.
