Italy begins controversial migrant transfers to Albania with first group

Italy on Monday began transferring migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean to centres in Albania in a European first that has sparked criticism from human rights groups.

Sixteen migrants, all male, were aboard the Italian navy's Libra patrol vessel en route to Albania and expected to arrive Wednesday morning, a government source told AFP.

The would-be asylum seekers, 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt, were rescued in international waters by Italian authorities on Sunday. Their two boats had each departed from Libya in the Tripoli area, the source said.

Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took office in October 2022 on a promise to stop the tens of thousands of migrants who land on Italy's shores each year from North Africa.

In November last year, she agreed a deal with her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama to process some asylum seekers in his country, which is just across the Adriatic Sea - but not part of the European Union.

The five-year deal, estimated to cost Italy 160 million euros ($175 million) a year, covers adult male migrants intercepted by Italian navy or coastguard vessels in international waters, but within Italy's search and rescue area.

They are to be transferred to a military ship for an initial screening at sea.

From there, a determination will be made as to which migrants are from countries considered "safe", which in theory simplifies repatriation.

On arriving in Albania, they will be transferred to a centre in the northern port of Shengjin for registration and health checks, and then sent to a centre in nearby Gjader to await processing of their asylum claims.

The Gjader facility - a maze of prefabricated buildings surrounded by high walls and police guards - includes a section for migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected, as well as a small jail.

The scheme is being watched with interest in other European countries concerned about irregular migration, and is likely to be discussed during a summit of EU leaders this week.

But it has also sparked major concerns.

'Dark chapter'

The centres will be operated under Italian law, with Italian security and staff, and judges hearing cases via video link from Rome.

Migrants considered vulnerable under EU law - including minors, women, people with mental health issues or victims of torture, abuse or human trafficking - will be exempt.

But human rights groups question whether Albania will offer enough protection for asylum seekers, with Amnesty International having described the scheme as a "cruel experiment (that) is a stain on the Italian government".

Sea Watch, one of the NGOs operating ships that rescue migrants in the Mediterranean, called the launch of the scheme Monday a "dark chapter".

Elly Schlein, leader of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party, accused the government of squandering taxpayers' money on a plan built "in contempt of people's fundamental rights".

After nearly a year of the government touting its plan as a way to ease pressure on Italy's overcrowded migrant reception centres - or hotspots - the small number of migrants in the first transport to Albania aboard the nearly 80-metre (260-foot) naval vessel is also likely to draw criticism.

'Light detention'

The Italian government initially said the centres would accommodate up to 3,000 people at a time, but media tallies suggested the current number of beds was less than half that.

On Saturday, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called the facilities "light detention" centres.

"There is no barbed wire, there is assistance", he said. "Everyone can apply for international protection and receive a response in a few days."

However, Italy's UILPA prison guards' union - whose guards will be used in Albania - said Piantedosi's assessment was over-optimistic, with the water and electricity supply not yet fully functional.

The UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) will be present on site in an observatory role, at least for the first three months.

Illegal immigration has been a prime target of Meloni since her post-fascist Brothers of Italy party won a shock election victory in 2022.

Her government has also inked a deal with Tunisia, granting aid in exchange for greater efforts to stop Italy-bound migrants.

And Rome has renewed a 2017 deal with the UN-backed Libyan government in Tripoli to provide training and funding to the Libyan coastguard in order to stem departures of migrants or return to Libya those already at sea.

Almost 160,000 migrants landed in boats on Italian shores last year, up from 105,000 the year before, according to interior ministry data.

But the numbers have sharply fallen in 2024, with around 53,300 arrivals recorded so far, compared to almost 140,000 in the same period in 2023.