Meloni and Rama: knee in the rain and controversial migration deal!

Meloni and Rama: knee in the rain and controversial migration deal!

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the summit of the European Political Community (EPG) in Tirana on Friday, where she was solemnly received by her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama. This encounter underlines the close relationships between the two countries. Rama knelt down in an impressive act of revealing in the rain and folding his hands, which was viral in Italy. Meloni took up this moment humorously by making a joke over Ram's body size, which is at two meters. Rama wore white sneakers with the logo of the European political community.

One of the central topics discussed while Meloni's visit was a recently approved migration agreement between Albania and Italy. This agreement, which was supported by 77 of the 140 MPs in the Albanian parliament, enables Italy to set up two refugee camps in Albania. These camps are supposed to accept people who have been saved by Italian authorities on the high seas.

Details on the migration agreement

According to the details of the agreement, one of the camps is decided on asylum applications, while the other migrants should accommodate until their applications are processed. Up to 3,000 asylum seekers can be accommodated in these facilities. Italy takes responsibility for the administration and security of these camps, while Albania supports the Italian authorities in external security.

Although the government's agreement is supported, there is also considerable criticism. The opposition in Albania sees the deal as a violation of national security and public interest. In Italy, too, the agreement was approved with 155 votes for 115. Human rights activists express concerns because the outsourcing of asylum procedures in the non-EU area is considered problematic. Albania, as a non-EU member, is not forced to consider EU law, which accuses additional controversy.

international reactions

The EU Commission has stated that the Italian plans are not contradicting the European laws. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has registered concerns, in particular with regard to the possibility of arbitrary detainees in the new refugee camps. Lawyer Dorian Matlija warned that the refugee crisis in Europe could be reinforced by such agreements.

Overall, the visit of Meloni in Tirana and the discussion about the migration agreement shows the tense and changeable situation around migration in Europe, which continues to cause many reactions.