Setback for Meloni

Court stops internment of asylum seekers in Albania

Italian police officers at the migration center in Gjadër

(Bild: APA/AFP/Adnan Beci)

Italy's government has suffered the next legal setback for its Albania model. A court in Rome has suspended the internment of seven asylum seekers currently housed in the Italian migration center in Gjadër in Albania. The men had only been brought to Albania on board the Italian navy ship "Libra" on Saturday.

The Immigration Division of the court in Rome referred the case to the ECJ on Monday and suspended the confirmation of the migrants' detention. The seven men from Egypt and Bangladesh must therefore leave the Gjadër center in Albania and return to Italy, judicial sources said.

Italy's head of government, Giorgia Meloni, is not giving up and intends to appeal the court ruling.

(Bild: AFP)

Dispute over safe countries of origin
On 18 October, the same court had rejected the detention of twelve migrants who were part of the first group to be brought to Albania as part of the controversial agreement between the government in Rome on the operation of migrant centers on Albanian territory. The court refused to detain the migrants on the grounds that their countries of origin, Bangladesh and Egypt, could not be considered completely safe due to a ruling by the European Court of Justice on October 4.

As a result, the twelve migrants had to be brought to Italy. The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then adopted a measure containing a list of 19 safe countries for repatriation, including Bangladesh and Egypt, in order to overcome the legal obstacle to the implementation of the Albania Protocol.

Government in Rome wants to appeal
A ruling by the European Court of Justice in October makes it clear that countries can only be considered safe if all people there are free from discrimination. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and Lega leader, sharply criticized the ruling and saw it as a political decision against Italy. The issue is particularly relevant as Italy is heavily affected by migration across the Mediterranean. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi defended the Albania plan against criticism from the opposition and announced an appeal.