Italy Transfers Rejected Migrants to Albania’s Detention Centres
Italian authorities on Friday began transferring 40 migrants denied permission to remain in the country to detention centers in Albania, marking the first time a European Union nation has relocated rejected migrants to a non-EU country that is neither their homeland nor a transit country.
According to Italian media, the group departed from the southern port of Brindisi. Officials have not disclosed their nationalities or further identifying details. The migrants will be housed in Italian-operated centers in Albania’s Shengjin and Gjader areas, which were originally constructed to process asylum claims for individuals intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea.
These facilities, inaugurated last October under a €800 million agreement between Italy and Albania, faced legal setbacks shortly after opening, with Italian courts blocking migrant detentions and ordering returns to Italy. The new transfer comes after Italy’s government — led by far-right Premier Giorgia Meloni — approved a decree in March expanding the centers’ use to include holding rejected asylum seekers pending deportation.
Under Italian law, migrants can be detained for up to 18 months during deportation proceedings, but it remains unclear how long individuals may be held in Albania. Critics argue the move violates asylum rights and sets a troubling precedent. Human rights groups and legal experts question the legality of transferring migrants to a non-EU nation lacking clear legal grounds for deportation procedures.
“There is no provision in Italian, EU, or bilateral law allowing rejected asylum-seekers to be deported from Albanian soil,” said Francesco Ferri of Action Aid, who joined a delegation monitoring the situation in Albania. “For us, it is unacceptable.”
Despite a broader EU Commission proposal to establish “return hubs” outside EU borders, the policy has not been fully adopted. Migration analysts suggest other countries may explore similar arrangements, with the Netherlands reportedly considering a partnership with Uganda.
So far this year, 11,438 migrants have reached Italian shores — down from over 16,000 in the same period last year. Most recent arrivals have come from Bangladesh, Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt, according to Italy’s Interior Ministry.
Previous attempts to use the Albanian centers faltered, with three small groups of migrants returned to Italy after local magistrates ruled their detentions unlawful.
The Italy-Albania agreement allows for up to 3,000 migrants a month to be held in Albania while awaiting asylum decisions or deportation. However, the implementation continues to face legal, political, and humanitarian scrutiny.
