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EU Court Imposes Stricter Rules on Italy’s Albania Asylum Plan

Rome protested the judgment as an infringement on national sovereignty

A drone view shows a migrant detention centre in Gjader, Albania, July 31, 2025. The facility was set up under an Italian government plan to process migrants rescued at sea. REUTERS/Florion Goga/File Photo
FILE - Migrants follow the authorities after their arrival in the port of Shengjin, northwestern Albania, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj, File)
Italian police officers stand at the entrance of a recently build Italian-run migrant centre at the port of Shengjin, some 60 kms northwest of Tirana, on October 11, 2024. Controversial camps set up in Albania to house migrants rescued in Italian waters are ready to start functioning, the Italian ambassador in Tirana said today. The deal, signed in November by Italian Prime Minister and Albanian counterpart, was sharply criticised by rights groups. They say it is illegal under international law, warning that Albania, a non-EU country offers limited protection for asylum seekers. (Photo by Adnan Beci / AFP) (Photo by ADNAN BECI/AFP via Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - 2025/07/15: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks to the press after meeting with Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (not in view) in Hall of Galeons in Palazzo Chigi. (Photo by Marco Iacobucci/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The European Court of Justice ruled that Italy may fast-track asylum rejections only if its ‘safe country’ designations meet strict legal standards and allow applicants and courts to access and challenge the supporting evidence.
  • The court held that a country cannot be classified as ‘safe’ unless it offers adequate protection to its entire population.
  • Italy’s detention centres in Albania have remained empty amid successive legal challenges, and the ECJ judgment casts fresh doubt on their future use.
  • Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government condemned the ruling as an encroachment on its authority and is exploring further legal and technical options.
  • Amnesty International described the decision as a heavy blow to the Italy-Albania migration deal and urged EU authorities to enforce transparent, judicially reviewable asylum safeguards.