Albania's Top Court Approves Migrant Deal With Italy
Muhammad Irfan Published January 29, 2024 | 11:39 PM
Albania's Constitutional Court on Monday approved a controversial deal signed with Italy to host two holding centres for migrants rescued in Italian waters
Tirana, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Jan, 2024) Albania's Constitutional Court on Monday approved a controversial deal signed with Italy to host two holding centres for migrants rescued in Italian waters.
The agreement has been condemned by opposition parties in both countries, as well as rights groups, resulting in a legal challenge taken up by the top court in Tirana.
"The agreement does not harm Albania's territorial integrity," the court said in a statement.
The ruling comes just days after Italian MPs voted in favour of the agreement -- with the lower chamber of parliament backing the protocol by 155 votes to 115, with two abstentions.
During the parliamentary debate, opposition MPs accused Prime Minister Georgia Meloni of using migrants as "electoral propaganda", saying the project would have little impact on numbers and was hugely costly.
The text now goes to the Italian Senate, where it is also expected to be approved.
The accord allows for two centres to be established near the Albanian port of Shengjin, where migrants would register for asylum, as well as a facility in the same region to house those awaiting a response to their applications.
The two centres -- to be managed by Italy -- can hold a maximum of 3,000 people at any one time while they await a decision on their claims.
They estimated the cost at more than 650 million Euros over the five-year term of the accord.
The Albanian right-wing opposition has lambasted Prime Minister Edi Rama for an alleged lack of transparency over the agreement, calling the deal an "irresponsible and dangerous act for national security".
The International Rescue Committee NGO has condemned the agreement as "dehumanising", while Amnesty International described it as "illegal and unenforceable".
Albanian authorities have said the agreement is in line with previous treaties signed with Italy, with international law and the country's constitution.
"We are not selling a piece of land of Albania," Interior Minister Taulant Balla told AFP during an interview last month. "We are offering this land to Italy like we usually do for example when we set up an embassy."
Jurisdiction inside the camp would be Italian, but the land would remain in Albanian hands, he added.
Italy will pay to build the two centres and necessary infrastructure, as well as expenses relating to the security and medical care of asylum seekers, according to Albanian authorities.
Meloni -- leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party -- was elected to office in 2022 promising to stop migrant boats arriving from North Africa. Numbers have risen however from around 105,000 migrant landings in 2022 to almost 158,000 in 2023, official figures show.
bme/ds/tw
Related Topics
Recent Stories
IHC orders Jail officials to shift Bushra Bibi to Adiala Jail from Bani Gala
Projects of worth $25b being implemented in Pakistan under CPEC framework: Ahsan
Saudi investors evince special interest in diverse fields
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 8 May 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 08 May 2024
Delegation of international investors meets Finance Minister
Federal Govt stands with Balochistan for its development: Naqvi
UAE President receives condolences of Prime Minister of Pakistan over passing of ..
ECC approves to enhance wheat procurement targets
UN urges Israel to 'stop escalation' as tanks enter Gaza's Rafah city
EU stumps up $125 mn for Yemen after aid groups' plea
Governor Tessori condemns May 9 riots, calls it a 'pre-planned conspiracy'
More Stories From World
-
N. Macedonia polls set to upend ties with EU neighbours
7 minutes ago -
Kenya sanctuaries toil to save birds of prey from extinction
7 minutes ago -
China completes 4-tier disaster risk evaluation via national survey
7 minutes ago -
Saudi International Furniture and Decor exhibition launches in Jeddah
17 minutes ago -
KFU ranks among top International universities in 5 scientific fields
17 minutes ago -
Int’l Conference of Judicial Training 2024 in Riyadh concludes with extensive expert participation
17 minutes ago
-
North Korea tested rocket engine last month: Report
27 minutes ago -
Ahsan Iqbal, Tariq Fatemi arrive in Beijing, China on three-day visit
27 minutes ago -
Rubbish, climate change help boost Portugal's white stork numbers
27 minutes ago -
Crime thriller "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" continues to top Chinese box office
37 minutes ago -
Mongolia's wildlife at risk from overgrazing
1 hour ago -
150,000 people expected as Olympic flame arrives in France
1 hour ago