Italy and Albania agreed to transfer migrants and asylum seekers rescued from the sea

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: According to Euronews and according to a government document, these two centers are supposed to be operational by the spring of 2024, and it is expected that they will be able to accommodate about 39,000 refugees per year.

 

It is said that "these two temporary entry and reception centers for migrants rescued at sea" and the possibility of "accelerating the processing of refugee applications or possible repatriation" of them.

 

It has also been said that in the first reception center located in Xingjin port, in the north of Albania, the procedures for the implementation and identification of immigrants will be carried out, and twenty kilometers away in the second center located in the city of Jider, further actions will be taken regarding the case of immigrants.

 

These centers, which are managed under the supervision of Italy and the legal regulations of this country regarding immigrants, will benefit from the cooperation of the Albanian police forces only for security and surveillance activities.

 

Jorja Meloni clarified in a press release that the Italian-Albanian agreement "does not include minors, pregnant women and vulnerable people."

 

It has been said that Italy has been facing an influx of immigrants since January 2023. Since the beginning of this year, 145 thousand illegal immigrants have entered this country. This is despite the fact that during the same period in 2022, about 88 thousand illegal immigrants entered this country.

 

Albania is one of the Western Balkan countries that has been trying to become a member of the European Union for many years.

 

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who managed to get the support of George Meloni to enter the European Union, said about cooperation with Italy: "If Italy presents a request, Albania will accept it."

 

He also added, "Although Albania is not yet a part of the European Union, it behaves as if it is a member state."

 

Opponents of the Italian coalition government protested the signing of the agreement, calling it "a real expulsion and a clear violation of international law."

 

Angelo Bonelli, a representative of the Green and Left coalition expressed concern about this plan and said: "The principle of non-return is clear and cannot be bypassed. "We cannot tolerate the trampling of the right to asylum through agreements that provide for the relocation of people to a non-EU country without adequate guarantees for their fundamental rights."