Italy wants to accommodate Mediterranean migrants in camps in Albania and examine asylum applications there. A navy ship with a first group of migrants is now on its way to the Albanian camps.
After months of delay, Italy begins the controversial transfer of migrants to reception centers in non-EU country Albania. The arrival of a first group of migrants in the camps on Albanian soil is expected on Wednesday, the Italian Interior Ministry said. The 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh had previously made their way to Europe via the central Mediterranean and were taken on board by the Italian authorities on the open sea.
Italy and Albania signed an agreement last year providing for the establishment of reception centers for migrants. There, Rome wants to examine your asylum applications extraterritorially in a fast-track procedure. If an application is rejected, the people will be deported directly from Albania. Otherwise they should be allowed to enter Italy.
This affects men from countries of origin classified as safe who were picked up by Italian authorities’ ships on their way across the Mediterranean to Europe. Before they are brought to Albania, the people on board are first checked. This excludes women, children, the sick and victims of torture.
The two camps at the Adriatic port of Shengjin and in Gjader in the interior officially began operations on Friday. The opening of the refugee camps was originally scheduled for May, but was delayed several times due to technical problems.
Other European governments are closely following Italy’s plans to review asylum procedures in countries outside the EU. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) described it as an “interesting model”. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also says she hopes to be able to draw practical lessons from it.
Source: Stern
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