The Italian Supreme Court recently examined the issue related to the government’s plan to send migrants to Albania, but a decision on the legality of this mechanism will not be made for several weeks.
Recently, lower courts in Italy questioned the legality of deporting migrants to Albanian camps, considering it to be in violation of European norms. These courts ordered the immediate return of migrants to Italy. According to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s plan, migrants from the government’s list of “safe countries” could be deported to Albania and undergo expedited repatriation after a faster review process.
The legality of this list and the associated decisions were challenged in the Supreme Court, which is set to rule on appeals from Italy’s Ministry of the Interior regarding the illegal detention of migrants in Albania. After hearings in Rome, sources reported that the court’s verdict will be issued in the coming weeks. Migrants’ lawyers said they plan to appeal to the European Court.
The decisions of the Italian courts, which contradict the plan to send migrants to Albania, are based on an October ruling by the European Court, unrelated to Italy. This ruling states that no country of origin for asylum seekers can be considered safe if any part of its territory is deemed dangerous.
It is expected that the matter will be referred back to the European Court to assess whether the Italian judges interpreted the ruling correctly, but this process may take months. In the meantime, the Italian government has suspended the deportation of migrants to Albania.
