Migration over the Mediterranean: “Albania model” fails again due to justice

After a new defeat for the right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in court, Italy has again had to take up a group of Mediterranean refugees internet in Albania. The 43 men from Egypt and Bangladesh were brought to the southern Italian port city of Bari by a ship of the coast guard, where they arrived in the evening. Accommodation are available there.

Previously, a court in Rome had decided that the asylum seekers, who have been in the EU in a warehouse in the non-EU country on the other side of the Adriatic Land. For the chairwoman of the Fratelli d’Italia party (Italy’s brothers) and their right coalition, this was already the third legal flop in a row. So far, Meloni’s “Albania model” has never worked. Nevertheless, she wants to stick to it.

European Court of Justice will decide at the end of the month

As early as October and November, judges had decided that Italy should not decide asylum applications outside the EU. The two specially built camps in Albania are now empty despite high costs. It is unclear whether Meloni wants to have refugees brought there again before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) comments on February 25th. In essence, it is about the classification of the home countries of migrants into so -called safe countries of origin.

The 43 men had made their way to Europe together with other migrants in Libya. Before they could go ashore in Italy, they were taken on board by the Italian Navy and brought to Albania. There Italian officials rejected all asylum applications in the quick procedure. However, the judges tipped these decisions. In six other cases, migrants were allowed to enter beforehand, for various reasons.

Italy is the first state of the European Union to build camp outside the EU. The future of the “Albania model” is carefully pursued by other European governments. Italy is one of the countries that are particularly affected by the escape movement over the Mediterranean. In January, 3,368 newcomers were counted, more than a year ago (2,258). For the camps in Albania, the right -wing government only has adult men selected who, in their view, come from safe countries of origin.

A dispute between the legal government in Rome and the judiciary has developed in dealing with migrants. The question of who has the competence is to determine safe countries of origin. Most recently there was a decision by the Supreme Court in Rome to create scope for the government. So far, however, the legal situation has not been clarified.

Dispute between the government and the judiciary

The right coalition accuses the judiciary of torpedoing the regulation for political reasons. Judge associations reject this as an attempt to put the judiciary under pressure. The left opposition, in turn, also criticizes Meloni for waste many millions of euros in tax money. The costs for the construction and operation of the camps are estimated at more than 650 million euros.