Italy in crisis: Empty refugee camps in Albania after court ruling!

Italy in crisis: Empty refugee camps in Albania after court ruling!

In a dramatic turning point for the Italian government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a court in Rome has ruled that the detention of migrants in a camp outside the EU is unlawful. This led to Italy once again having to accept refugees from a camp in Albania. On Friday, seven men from Bangladesh and Egypt who were on a dangerous flight to Europe were brought to the port city of Brindisi on an Italian coast guard ship. This decision represents a major setback for Meloni's controversial "Albania model", which aims to process asylum applications in a non-EU country.

The migrants had previously been stopped near the island of Lampedusa before they were brought to Albania, where Italian officials were to decide on their asylum applications. But the judiciary has already rejected the applications in five cases and the return of the men was stopped - another example of the difficulties with which the Italian government is confronted. In the past few weeks, 16 similar returns have been stopped by the dishes. In the meantime, the dangerous crossings through the Mediterranean continue to the Mediterranean, and every week hundreds of refugees reach the Italian coasts.

Empty camps and legal disputes

The "Albania model" is now on the brink. The two camps that Italy operates in Albania are currently empty, apart from the staff. The future of this camp is uncertain because the case is now at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and Italy's highest court advises about it. The argument between Meloni's government and the judiciary has developed into a violent dispute that could have far-reaching effects on asylum policy in Italy and possibly also in other EU countries. While the government is planning to process up to 36,000 asylum applications in Albania annually, it remains to be seen whether this model can exist in view of the legal challenges.