The Italian government has begun relocating illegal migrants, including ten Bangladeshis who entered via the Mediterranean, to Albania, according to Italian media outlet Il Messaggero.
As part of Italy’s strategy to curb Mediterranean immigration, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed a contract with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama in November last year.
This agreement, reported by Reuters, marks the first EU nation to transfer migrants to a non-EU country, with Italy building two reception centres in Albania.
With EU approval, the first group of migrants, picked up at sea by the ship “Marina Military” on Sunday, set sail from Libya’s Sabratha and Zuawarah to Shëngjin, Albania, where they were transferred to a camp in Gjadër on Tuesday.
Rescued migrants must apply for asylum in Albania, with their applications reviewed by Italian judges.
The process is expected to be completed within 28 days. Successful applicants can enter Italy, while the EU will fund the return of others to their home countries, Il Messaggero reported.
BDNews24 reported that Bangladesh has recently been designated a “safe country” by Italy, meaning asylum claims from Bangladeshi nationals will typically not be accepted.
Following Italy’s lead, 15 other EU countries have signed agreements with Albania to process asylum seekers there.
“The Italian government initiated this plan to curb illegal migration and instead attract skilled workers through legal channels. This tough stance on immigration has bolstered the popularity of Giorgia Meloni’s far-right party, Fratelli d’Italia, propelling her to the position of prime minister after an election,” Kamrul Hasan, an expatriate in Venice, told BDNews24.
Reuters reports that Italy’s recent migration policy stipulates only “non-vulnerable” men from safe countries will be transferred to Albania.
Currently, there are 21 nations on Italy’s list. Last year, 56,588 migrants arrived in Italy from four of these countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Tunisia. Many quickly abscond from reception centres to wealthier parts of northern Europe.
Under the terms of the Albania accord, up to 36,000 migrants can be dispatched to the Balkan nation each year, provided they come from the list of safe countries, significantly limiting their chances of obtaining asylum.