Italy Relocates 49 Migrants to Albania Under Controversial Asylum Processing Agreement

The move comes as Giorgia Meloni's government seeks to revive a legally disputed plan to process asylum applications in a non-EU country.

An Italian navy ship transported 49 migrants to Albania for asylum processing under a €670 million bilateral agreement signed in 2023.
The migrants, reportedly from Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Gambia, were intercepted in international waters and transferred to facilities in Shengjin and Gjader.
This marks the third attempt to implement the plan, following earlier court rulings that deemed the detention of migrants from unsafe countries unlawful.
The European Court of Justice is scheduled to review the legality of the agreement on February 25, with prior rulings challenging the concept of 'safe' countries for repatriation.
Critics, including human rights groups and opposition politicians, argue the policy violates international law and undermines asylum seekers' rights.