Situation
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the plan to build migration centres under Italian jurisdiction in partnership with the government of Albania on 7 November 2023. The move is a result of the arrival of over 145,000 migrants in 2023 increased from over 88,000 in 2022. Prime ministers Meloni and Edi Rama have mutually agreed to bring down this 65% increase in migration to the EU, specifically to Italy. Under the scheme, ‘rescued’ migrants will be sent to purpose-built centres in Albania while their asylum applications are processed in Italy.
Background
Prime Minister Rama has emphasised the rationality for Albania to accept Italy’s plan. Primarily, he talked about the “history of hospitality” where Albania had extended support to over half a million refugees fleeing conflict in Kosovo, as well as thousands of Afghan women and Iranians.
Recently, Tunisia had rejected the same offer from Italy, calling it “treason against Albania and a disloyalty to our country”. Tunisia emphasised the contradiction with the memorandum of understanding signed in July which pledged 1 billion euros to support the recovery of its economy, rescue state finances, and deal with the migration crisis.
Italy, on the other hand, has encouraged Albania’s support as a “de-facto” actor for the EU and emphasised its support for Albania’s entry into the Union. “I don’t like to call it enlargement, I like to call it reunification. I don’t think the EU is a club, I don’t think we decide who is European and who is not.” Prime Minister Meloni said. In addition, the historic friendship between Italy and Albania in terms of commercial, cultural, and social cooperation was foregrounded.
Impact
The Italy-Albania strategic partnership is intended to combat human traffickers and the rising number of deaths of migrants who cross the Mediterranean. According to initial plans by Prime Minister Meloni, the centres would host around 3000 people following its opening in 2024 with gradual upscaling to process around 36,000 migrants per year.
Entering into the deal with Albania, the Prime Minister expressed her view on the plan, “I consider this as a truly European agreement, and I want to say that it shows that it is possible to work together on the management of migratory flows. They (the migrants) will stay in these centres for the time necessary to quickly process asylum applications and, if necessary, for repatriation”.
Minors, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups would not be taken to the Albanian centres.
While the plan is still to be put into practice, the efforts at negotiating repatriation with African countries for failed asylum seekers have begun. Prime Minister Rama has termed this as the “hardest part” of the plan while he has extended support for Italy in reciprocation.
Current Action
The deal is a first-of-its-kind attempt of a non-EU member nation to accept migrants on behalf of an EU nation. Prime Minister Meloni has named this agreement as a step towards greater cooperation between EU and non-EU member states.
The agreement however has been termed controversial as the media drew parallels with the British attempt to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The UK plan was focused on preventing migrants from entering the country through illegal and dangerous routes by sending them to Rwanda and encouraging asylum applications there. This has however reached a standstill after the Court of Appeal termed the plan as unlawful. Christopher Hein, a migration law expert at Rome's Luiss University, noted that the main difference between Albania and Rwanda was that people in Albania were protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.
Yet, the Italy-Albania agreement has inspired a stricter migration policy for Germany, as stated by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Germany. Scholz called this a “historic moment” for Italy highlighting the promise of faster asylum procedures, less state burden for social benefits for migrants, and increased federal funding available for local communities.
The debate on migration policies has been furthered with Italy’s decision as the International Rescue Committee has expressed disdain towards the lack of respect for dignity exhibited by European host countries. Médecins Sans Frontières addressed the deal followingly: “The aim is no longer to only discourage departures, but to actively prevent people from fleeing and those rescued at sea from gaining safe and rapid access to European territory, thus bypassing the protection and rescue obligations enshrined in international law and European conventions.” A spokesperson for the NGO Sea-Watch went so far as to call this a “new frontal attack” by the Italian government to international and EU Asylum law.
International organisations and NGOs including Save the Children, are condemning the act for exclusionary practice against non-EU citizens and the violation of international law. With the prior attempt of the UK government’s Rwanda plan failing and Germany set to follow in Italy’s footsteps, the insufficiency of processing asylum applications while the asylum seekers are detained in a third country has been widely evident.
By Vrinda Sahai
References
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/07/german-chancellor-olaf-scholz-agrees-historic-stricter-migration-policy
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italys-migrant-deal-with-albania-faces-rights-hurdles-red-tape-2023-11-07/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-build-sea-migrant-reception-centres-albania-2023-11-06/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-pm-hails-migrants-deal-with-albania-possible-model-eu-2023-11-07/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/06/italy-to-create-asylum-seeker-centres-in-albania-giorgia-meloni-says
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12720583/Italy-send-migrants-rescued-Med-reception-centres-Albania-Germany-admits-coming-considers-measures-similar-UKs-Rwanda-plan.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/tunisia-rejects-eu-financial-aid-casting-doubt-an-immigration-deal-2023-10-02/
https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/italy-albania-migration-deal-divides-both-sides-of-adriatic-caution-from-eu/
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the plan to build migration centres under Italian jurisdiction in partnership with the government of Albania on 7 November 2023. The move is a result of the arrival of over 145,000 migrants in 2023 increased from over 88,000 in 2022. Prime ministers Meloni and Edi Rama have mutually agreed to bring down this 65% increase in migration to the EU, specifically to Italy. Under the scheme, ‘rescued’ migrants will be sent to purpose-built centres in Albania while their asylum applications are processed in Italy.
Background
Prime Minister Rama has emphasised the rationality for Albania to accept Italy’s plan. Primarily, he talked about the “history of hospitality” where Albania had extended support to over half a million refugees fleeing conflict in Kosovo, as well as thousands of Afghan women and Iranians.
Recently, Tunisia had rejected the same offer from Italy, calling it “treason against Albania and a disloyalty to our country”. Tunisia emphasised the contradiction with the memorandum of understanding signed in July which pledged 1 billion euros to support the recovery of its economy, rescue state finances, and deal with the migration crisis.
Italy, on the other hand, has encouraged Albania’s support as a “de-facto” actor for the EU and emphasised its support for Albania’s entry into the Union. “I don’t like to call it enlargement, I like to call it reunification. I don’t think the EU is a club, I don’t think we decide who is European and who is not.” Prime Minister Meloni said. In addition, the historic friendship between Italy and Albania in terms of commercial, cultural, and social cooperation was foregrounded.
Impact
The Italy-Albania strategic partnership is intended to combat human traffickers and the rising number of deaths of migrants who cross the Mediterranean. According to initial plans by Prime Minister Meloni, the centres would host around 3000 people following its opening in 2024 with gradual upscaling to process around 36,000 migrants per year.
Entering into the deal with Albania, the Prime Minister expressed her view on the plan, “I consider this as a truly European agreement, and I want to say that it shows that it is possible to work together on the management of migratory flows. They (the migrants) will stay in these centres for the time necessary to quickly process asylum applications and, if necessary, for repatriation”.
Minors, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups would not be taken to the Albanian centres.
While the plan is still to be put into practice, the efforts at negotiating repatriation with African countries for failed asylum seekers have begun. Prime Minister Rama has termed this as the “hardest part” of the plan while he has extended support for Italy in reciprocation.
Current Action
The deal is a first-of-its-kind attempt of a non-EU member nation to accept migrants on behalf of an EU nation. Prime Minister Meloni has named this agreement as a step towards greater cooperation between EU and non-EU member states.
The agreement however has been termed controversial as the media drew parallels with the British attempt to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The UK plan was focused on preventing migrants from entering the country through illegal and dangerous routes by sending them to Rwanda and encouraging asylum applications there. This has however reached a standstill after the Court of Appeal termed the plan as unlawful. Christopher Hein, a migration law expert at Rome's Luiss University, noted that the main difference between Albania and Rwanda was that people in Albania were protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.
Yet, the Italy-Albania agreement has inspired a stricter migration policy for Germany, as stated by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Germany. Scholz called this a “historic moment” for Italy highlighting the promise of faster asylum procedures, less state burden for social benefits for migrants, and increased federal funding available for local communities.
The debate on migration policies has been furthered with Italy’s decision as the International Rescue Committee has expressed disdain towards the lack of respect for dignity exhibited by European host countries. Médecins Sans Frontières addressed the deal followingly: “The aim is no longer to only discourage departures, but to actively prevent people from fleeing and those rescued at sea from gaining safe and rapid access to European territory, thus bypassing the protection and rescue obligations enshrined in international law and European conventions.” A spokesperson for the NGO Sea-Watch went so far as to call this a “new frontal attack” by the Italian government to international and EU Asylum law.
International organisations and NGOs including Save the Children, are condemning the act for exclusionary practice against non-EU citizens and the violation of international law. With the prior attempt of the UK government’s Rwanda plan failing and Germany set to follow in Italy’s footsteps, the insufficiency of processing asylum applications while the asylum seekers are detained in a third country has been widely evident.
By Vrinda Sahai
References
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/07/german-chancellor-olaf-scholz-agrees-historic-stricter-migration-policy
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italys-migrant-deal-with-albania-faces-rights-hurdles-red-tape-2023-11-07/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-build-sea-migrant-reception-centres-albania-2023-11-06/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-pm-hails-migrants-deal-with-albania-possible-model-eu-2023-11-07/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/06/italy-to-create-asylum-seeker-centres-in-albania-giorgia-meloni-says
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12720583/Italy-send-migrants-rescued-Med-reception-centres-Albania-Germany-admits-coming-considers-measures-similar-UKs-Rwanda-plan.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/tunisia-rejects-eu-financial-aid-casting-doubt-an-immigration-deal-2023-10-02/
https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/italy-albania-migration-deal-divides-both-sides-of-adriatic-caution-from-eu/