Albania has agreed to become a dumping ground for illegal migrants to Italy. The EU Commission is not amused, letting it be known that they want to look into the deal struck between the Italian and Albanian governments on migration.
According to the deal, migrants that Italian ships rescue at sea will be loaded into two centers in Albania, although Italian authorities will build and manage the centers. The deal appears to be designed to bypass the EU Dublin rules on “first arrival” countries, which allows refugees to only file for asylum in the country where they arrive. By that arrangement, Italy decreases the number of refugees, who otherwise would have to file for asylum in Italy.
The two Albanian centers will accommodate 36,000 persons and filter those who have a right to asylum for humanitarian reasons from those who do not. However, since it is highly improbable that the latter can be sent back, the large majority of them will try to enter the EU via the Balkan route.
The Albanian government seems to have accepted the deal in exchange for renewed Italian support for Albania’s attempt to become an EU member. While Brussels has no right to interfere in the bilateral deal, the deal is also no solution to migration. While the Italian government keeps announcing a “Mattei Plan” to create jobs in Africa, it is not yet known what the plan will include.
