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Italy’s Meloni defends plan to process migrants in Albania
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday defended her government’s controversial plan to process asylum seekers in Albania, attributing delays to legal challenges and political opposition. Her remarks came after an intergovernmental summit in Rome with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the initiative.
Meloni said the project — signed in 2023 to allow asylum seekers intercepted at sea to be transferred to Italian-funded and Italian-run facilities in Albania — would finally operate as intended once the new EU migration and asylum pact takes effect.
She argued that opponents had “worked to slow it down or block it,” adding that rulings halting deportations to countries such as Bangladesh and Tunisia had further complicated implementation. “If two years have been lost, everyone will have to take responsibility. The responsibility is not mine,” she said.
Despite ongoing legal challenges, with several Italian judges deeming the outsourcing model unconstitutional, Meloni insisted the plan remains a key part of Italy’s migration strategy.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama reaffirmed his strong support, saying he would “do it a hundred times over,” but only in cooperation with Italy.
Opposition leaders in Italy sharply criticized the project.
Elly Schlein, head of the Democratic Party, denounced it as “€800 million wasted to build empty prisons.” Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement, said Meloni had “finally admitted that we have lost two years in Albania.”
Despite criticism, Meloni hailed the summit as a “historic day” for relations between Italy and Albania. The two countries signed 15 new cooperation agreements covering defense, cybersecurity, culture and economic development.