Italian Courts Block Meloni's Albania Migration Plan for Third Time

Italy is forced to bring 43 migrants back from Albanian detention centers as legal challenges continue to undermine the controversial policy.

An Italian court ruled that 43 migrants detained in Albanian camps must be allowed to enter the EU, marking the third legal defeat for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's migration policy.
The migrants, primarily from Egypt and Bangladesh, were intercepted in the Mediterranean and sent to Albania, where their asylum claims were rejected in expedited processes.
The Albanian detention centers, constructed at a cost of over €650 million, remain largely unused after repeated court rulings against the policy.
The European Court of Justice is expected to deliver a key decision on February 25 regarding the legality of processing asylum claims outside the EU.
Critics, including opposition parties and judicial bodies, accuse Meloni's government of wasting taxpayer money and attempting to pressure the judiciary, while the government blames the courts for obstructing its migration strategy.