The head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, described as "courageous" the controversial agreement with Albania, under which Rome will manage reception centres for migrants in that country.
"This is a new, brave and unprecedented path, but one that fully reflects the European spirit and should be taken up by other non-EU countries," she told Italian senators.
On Italy's initiative, an informal meeting will be held in Brussels on 17 and 18 October on the sidelines of the summit with the countries most concerned about the migration issue, Meloni added, as quoted by AFP.
This statement comes a day after the departure of the first group of migrants rescued at sea for these two centres in Albania, where they are expected to arrive today.
Of the 16 men on board the Italian navy patrol vessel Libra, ten are from Bangladesh and six from Egypt. They were intercepted in international waters on 13 October by the Italian authorities. Their two boats had left the Tripoli area of Libya.
"Italy set a good example by signing the protocol between Italy and Albania. We took the extra time to ensure that everything was done in the best possible way and we are pleased with the results of this work," Meloni continued.
"I am proud that Italy has become a role model in this respect," she said, referring to the interest shown by the governments of France, Germany, Sweden and the UK in Italy's policy on managing migration flows.
At the end of 2023, the government of Giorgio Meloni, leader of the far-right Fratelli d'Italia (Italian Brothers) party, signed an agreement with Tirana providing for the creation of two centres in Albania from which migrants can apply for asylum.
This five-year agreement, which is expected to cost Italy €160 million a year, applies to adult men intercepted by the Italian navy or coastguard in their search and rescue zone in international waters.
The procedure involves an initial check on a military vessel, after which it is transferred to a centre in northern Albania, at the port of Shenzhen, for identification, and then to a second centre, at a former military base in Gyader. | BGNES
