Italy’s right-wing government has announced plans to create centers in Albania to accommodate illegal immigrants, the Prime Minister said on Monday, hailing it as a “historic” deal with Tirana to manage migration flows.
“I am pleased to announce with Albanian prime minister Edi Rama a memorandum of understanding between Italy and Albania concerning the management of migration flows,” said Giorgia Meloni. “Italy is Albania’s top trading partner. There is already close collaboration in the fight against illegality”.
The agreement involves setting up centers in Albania that can accommodate up to 3,000 people. Those allocated to Albania will be people rescued at sea by Italian boats.
“We started discussing this with the idea that mass illegal immigration is a phenomenon no EU member state can handle alone, and collaboration between EU states is crucial”, added Meloni.
The partnership was solidified during the mid-August Ferragosto holiday, according to sources in the Prime Minister’s office, despite previous reports of Meloni being on holiday in Albania.
“This is the first agreement of its kind”, the sources said. “It is a historic agreement, not only for Italy, but for the entire EU”.
Sources from the government reported in the media said Albania would host in its centers only people rescued at sea and not asylum seekers who arrive on Italian shores and territory, with the exception of minors, pregnant women and vulnerable individuals, who will be moved to Italy.
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The centers are capable of accommodating a total of up to 3,000 of the 39,000 people expected within a year.
“If Italy calls Albania, we respond”, said Rama. “It is not for us to judge the political merits of decisions made in this and other institutions. It is our duty to lend a helping hand”.
“Geography has become a curse for Italy. When you enter Italy, you enter the EU”, said the Albanian Prime Minister.
In exchange for Rama’s support in managing migration flows, Meloni said she would do everything in her power to support Albania’s entry into the EU.
