Overview

• Italy has transferred 40 rejected asylum seekers to detention centers in Shengjin and Gjader, Albania, marking the first time an EU country has sent migrants to a non-transit, non-EU state.
• The move follows a March decree by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration, which expanded the centers' use to include rejected asylum applicants.
• Originally built to process intercepted asylum seekers, the Albanian facilities remained unused for months due to prior court rulings blocking their operation.
• The legality of this policy is under review by the European Court, with questions about its compliance with EU law and the designation of Albania as a safe third country.
• Details on the migrants' nationalities and detention duration remain unclear, though similar cases in Italy allow for up to 18 months of detention before deportation.