Italian judges on Friday blocked the government’s request to hold asylum seekers in Albania while their cases are being processed, striking another blow to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s anti-immigration policy. This is the third time a court has ruled against the plan since October, when Italy began housing migrants in detention centers in Albania.
Under the program, only non-vulnerable men from countries deemed “safe” by the government were allowed into the centers. Women and minors are not included. The plan aims to deter undocumented immigrants from making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, but human rights groups have condemned it as illegal and overly expensive.
The decision affects 43 migrants taken into custody by the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this week. According to the Interior Ministry, they will now be sent back to Italy despite the ruling. The government has yet to comment on the court’s decision.
This setback comes at a time when Italy is facing another legal challenge over its release of a Libyan man accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court. It also puts pressure on Ms. Meloni’s government, which is already embroiled in a conflict with Italy’s judiciary over immigration issues.
Earlier, judges had rejected the plan twice, citing that some migrants’ home countries were not considered “safe” by the European Union. The Italian government responded by restarting the program and drafting new lists of countries deemed safe. However, it remains to be seen how this will affect the outcome of the case before the European Court of Justice.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/world/europe/italy-immigrants-albania.html