An Italian Navy ship carrying 49 migrants has reached Albania’s shores as part of Italy’s efforts to manage migration.
The naval vessel Cassiopea arrived at the Albanian port of Shëngjin on January 28, early in the morning. The migrants, picked up in international waters, will undergo identification before being transferred to the country’s detention center.
This move marks the Italian government’s continued push to implement its migration policy, despite legal challenges. The initiative was questioned by judges in Rome, who ordered the return of the first two groups of migrants sent to Albania, raising doubts about the policy’s legality.
The dispute centers on a ruling from the EU Court last year, which, though unrelated to Italy, has had significant implications for its plan. The Court ruled that no country can be deemed safe if any part of it is deemed dangerous, complicating Italy’s effort to deport migrants from a list of “safe” countries, including Albania.
The EU Court is set to review Italy’s migration plan in the coming weeks to determine whether it aligns with EU law.
In Albania, Italy has constructed two detention centers for migrants, marking the first such agreement between Italy and a non-EU country for migrant transfers. However, these centers have remained unused since November due to legal delays.
