First return of an asylum seeker from Italy to Albania!

First return of an asylum seeker from Italy to Albania!

A rejected asylum seeker from Bangladesh has recently been deported to Albania from Italy. The 42-year-old man, who came to Italy in 2009, was identified due to social hazard and has several criminal records, including serious domestic violence. Interior Minister Matteo Pianededosi announced the return to X. This measure represents the first return of a foreign citizen from Albania, which was previously recorded in a return center in Gjader.

The Italian government plans to continue the return measures for irregular migrants in the coming days. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, 40 rejected asylum seekers have already been brought to a camp in Albania. These men should stay there until they are finally deported. The camps in Shengjin and Gjader were originally intended for quick procedures for asylum applications, but no asylum procedures could be carried out due to judicial defeats. Thus, the camps were empty for months until rejected asylum seekers were housed there.

criticism and legal challenges

A new decree allows the accommodation of asylum seekers who have already been in Italy in the camps in Albania. Such migrants are usually recorded in return centers in Italy. Pianededosi described the camp in Gjader as "another return center, only outside the Italian state area". The European Court of Justice is currently examining whether this procedure is compatible with European law, especially with regard to safe countries of origin for deportations.

European context of migration

The legal problems with which Italy is confronted are also reflected in large European statistics. In 2023, over 118,935 people were denied entry into the EU. The main reasons for this were missing visas or residence permits as well as inadequate evidence of the purpose of the stay. Furthermore, EU member states in 2023 discover a total of 484,160 return decisions. Returns of Moroccan, Algerian and Afghan nationals were particularly often arranged. In the same year, the number of non-EU citizens actually returned rose by 25.1 percent to 111,185.

With this complex topic, the government under Giorgia Meloni is not only faced in Italy, but also confronted in the entire European area, whereby human rights organizations are already criticizing compliance with human rights in the Italian-Albanian camps.

Overall, the situation remains tense and it remains to be seen how the legal challenges and political measures will develop in the field of migration.

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