The U.N. refugee agency has agreed to monitor the first three months of Italy’s deal to process some migrants’ asylum requests at holding centers in Albania. While expressing serious concerns about the agreement, UNHCR stated that it would ensure the rights and dignity of those subject to it are protected. The deal calls for Albania to house up to 3,000 male migrants at a time who have been rescued in international waters while Italy fast-tracks their asylum claims. Despite delays in the operational start date due to construction issues, Italy’s right-wing government views the agreement as an important example of burden-sharing of Europe’s migrant responsibilities.
Although the European Commission has endorsed the Italy-Albania deal, human rights groups have criticized Italy’s outsourcing of its responsibilities under international law to process asylum requests. The opposition in Italy has referred to the centers in Albania as Italy’s “Guantanamo.” UNHCR stated that its monitoring mission would be funded independently to ensure its impartiality, and would report back with recommendations after three months. Concerns have been raised about the screening process onboard the ships, as well as migrants’ access to legal counsel once in Albania, especially regarding the repatriation of those not eligible for asylum.
Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR’s Italy director, raised concerns about the challenges of providing legal representation to migrants in Albania and questioned the process for sending migrants back home if they are not eligible for asylum. The cost of the two detention centers in Albania, which Italy will fully fund and run, is estimated to be 670 million euros over five years. The facilities will be under Italian jurisdiction, with Albanian guards providing external security. Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, highlighted a 20% increase in repatriations of migrants not eligible for asylum this year, alongside a significant decrease in new arrivals by boat compared to the previous year.
The monitoring mission by UNHCR was announced before Italy’s interior minister provided an annual update on security issues, including migration. As of the latest statistics, the number of migrants arriving in Italy by boat has decreased significantly this year. With 37,644 arrivals compared to 100,419 over the same period last year, Italy has also seen an increase in the number of migrants repatriated. The Italy-Albania deal remains a point of contention, with various stakeholders expressing both support and criticism of the agreement. UNHCR’s involvement in monitoring the execution will be crucial in ensuring the protection of migrants’ rights and upholding international standards in the asylum process.
