The Italian government intends to use the centers it opened in Albania last October for the fast-track expulsion of migrants who have received deportation orders. This decision comes after Italian courts blocked the detention of migrants rescued at sea there three times.
Initially, these centers in Shengjin and Gjader were established to accelerate the processing of asylum applications from migrants rescued in international waters. However, due to court rulings, all three groups of migrants sent there were soon returned to Italy.
Now, the government is considering repurposing them as Centers for Permanence and Repatriation (CPRs). A decree to amend their status is set to be discussed at a cabinet meeting on March 28.
The project, which has cost approximately one billion euros, has so far been unsuccessful. Despite prolonged construction and the official opening in October 2024, the centers remain empty. It is expected that a ruling by the European Court of Justice regarding safe countries for fast-track processing and repatriation, due between May and June, will help implement the centers’ original purpose.
