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Dozens of Migrants Return to Italy After Court Ruling
Dozens of migrants were transferred from Albania to Italy on Saturday following a ruling by Rome’s Court of Appeals that dealt a setback to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s controversial third-country migration plan. The decision comes after Italy’s court referred the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for further review.
An Italian boat carrying 43 migrants departed from the Albanian port of Shengjin around midday. The migrants, who had arrived in Albania earlier in the week, were intercepted by Italian authorities while attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Most hailed from Bangladesh, with others from Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Gambia, according to rights groups.
Meloni’s initiative to outsource migrant processing to Albania and expedite the repatriation of failed asylum seekers has faced significant legal challenges. Critics, including rights groups and opposition parties, have argued that the plan violates EU laws. The European Court of Justice is examining legal questions raised by several Italian courts, including whether countries can designate only certain parts of a nation as "safe" for asylum seekers.
In response to earlier legal setbacks, Meloni's government reduced its list of "safe countries" to 19. However, Italian judges have blocked the transfer of migrants, citing ECJ rulings that only entire countries can be classified as safe. The next ECJ hearing on the matter is scheduled for February.