The Italian Navy patrol vessel Cassiopea, carrying 49 migrants rescued over the weekend in international waters south of Lampedusa, has landed at the port of Shengjin, Albania.
The ship entered the port at 7.30am, Italian news agency Ansa reported. The majority of those on board are Bangladeshi nationals, while the rest are from Egypt, the Ivory Coast and Gambia. They will now go through the accelerated border procedures for those who come from safe countries and have not provided documents proving their identity.
Meloni revives Albania programme
The attempt to process migrants in Albania comes after two previous failures in October and November, when Italian judges refused to approve the detention of two small groups at Albanian processing centres, which were built under a contentious agreement between Italy and Albania. The courts ruled that the migrants’ countries of origin were not safe enough for them to face the possibility of being sent back by the processing centres.
The cases have been referred to the European Court of Justice, which earlier established that asylum applicants could not undergo a fast-track procedure that could lead to repatriation if their home countries are not deemed completely safe.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has vowed to reopen the two processing centres in Albania after they remained dormant following the Italian courts’ decisions.
Meloni’s position was partially backed by a ruling in late December by Italy’s highest court, which said Italian judges could not act as a substitute for government policy in deciding which countries are safe for repatriation of migrants whose asylum requests are rejected.
The decision allows lower courts to make such determinations on a case-by-case basis, without setting overall policy.
The migrants are to be checked in at a reception centre at the port of Shengjin before being taken to the Gjader accommodation centre, about 22 kilometres to the east.
The November 2023 agreement allows up to 3,000 migrants intercepted by the Italian coast guard in international waters each month to be sheltered in Albania and vetted for possible asylum in Italy or repatriation.
Italy has agreed to welcome those migrants who are granted asylum, while those whose applications are rejected face deportation directly from Albania.
