Italy has started relocating rejected asylum seekers to migration detention centers in Albania, marking what appears to be the first instance of an EU country transferring migrants to a non-EU state that is neither their country of origin nor one they transited through.
On Friday, Italian authorities confirmed that 40 migrants without legal status in Italy were being transferred to two Italian-run facilities located in Albania — one in the port city of Shengjin and another in Gjader, northwest of the capital, Tirana. The migrants reportedly departed from the southern Italian port of Brindisi, but officials have not disclosed their nationalities or further details.
The centers in Albania, built and operated by Italy, were designed to process asylum claims from migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea. However, since their opening in October 2023, legal challenges have hindered their operation, with Italian courts previously ordering that detained migrants be returned to Italy.
A recent decree by Italy’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, expanded the use of the Albanian centers to include the detention of rejected asylum seekers facing deportation. Under Italian law, such individuals can be held for up to 18 months pending repatriation.
While this move aligns with a European Commission proposal to create “return hubs” outside EU borders, the plan has not yet been fully approved. Human rights groups and legal experts warn that the practice may violate international and EU asylum laws, raising serious legal and ethical concerns.
The €800 million Italy-Albania deal allows for up to 3,000 migrants per month to be transferred to Albania for asylum screening or repatriation. Those granted asylum will be relocated to Italy, while those rejected face deportation from Albanian territory. However, previous migrant transfers in late 2023 and early 2024 were short-lived, as Italian courts ruled against detaining asylum seekers in a non-EU country, prompting their return to Italy within hours.
So far in 2025, Italy has recorded 11,438 migrant arrivals by sea — a decrease from the 16,090 reported during the same period last year. Most of the arrivals are from Bangladesh, followed by Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt, according to the Interior Ministry.
