Albania's top court approves controversial asylum deal to host migrants from Italy

The controversial agreement, which was denounced by rights groups and opposition parties in both countries, was upheld by the top court in Tirana on Monday. Albania’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the agreement, which was struck down by both countries, to host two holding centers for migrants rescued in Italian waters. “The agreement does not harm Albania’s territorial integrity,” the court said in a statement that backed the deal. The court’s decision was made in the days following the approval of the protocol by the lower house of parliament in Italy, which was supported by 155 votes to 115 with two abstentions. The Senate will now consider the text, and approval is also anticipated there. The agreement permits the establishment of two registration centers for migrants seeking asylum close to the Albanian port of Shengjin, as well as a facility to lodge individuals pending a response to their applications in the same area. Official estimates state that up to 3,000 migrants might be accommodated each month at the two centers, which would be under the management of Italy. They calculated that during the course of the five-year agreement, the cost would exceed 650 million euros. The pact has drawn criticism from the right-wing opposition in Albania, which refers to it as a “irresponsible and dangerous act for national security” and accuses Prime Minister Edi Rama of lacking transparency. Amnesty International called the pact “illegal and unenforceable,” and the non-governmental organization International Rescue Committee denounced it as “dehumanizing”. According to Albanian officials, the pact complies with the nation’s constitution, international regulations pertaining to asylum seekers, and other treaties inked with Italy. According to Albanian authorities, Italy would pay for the construction of the two centers, the associated infrastructure costs, and the costs of providing security and medical care for asylum seekers. Leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, Giorgia Meloni, was elected to the Italian prime ministership in late 2022 on the promise to halt the migrant boats that were coming into Italy from North Africa. According to government statistics, the number of migrant landings increased from approximately 105,000 in 2022 to nearly 158,000 in 2023. Rama, the leader of Albania, described the deal as an act of “solidarity” with Italy, a country that welcomed thousands of Albanian refugees following the overthrow of the Communist dictatorship in the early 1990s. (With agency inputs)