EU Court Strikes Down Italy’s Albania Migrant Plan
Prime Minister Meloni decries “power grab” by judiciary
A significant European Union court ruling has dealt a major blow to Italy’s controversial migrant processing deal with Albania, prompting sharp criticism from Prime Minister **Giorgia Meloni**.
Court Rejects Offshore Detention Model
The European Court of Justice (CJEU) has impacted Italy’s unique “Albania model,” which aimed to detain and process asylum claims from migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean. This plan, agreed upon in 2023, involved establishing facilities in Albania to handle up to 30,000 individuals.
Meloni called the court’s decision “surprising” and a power grab by EU judges. “Once again, the judiciary, this time at the European level, claims spaces that do not belong to it, in the face of responsibilities that are political,” the Italian PM said.
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The legal challenges stemmed from the asylum applications of two Bangladeshi nationals. They argued that Bangladesh should not be classified as a safe country for repatriation, a designation Italy had made. The court’s decision in October, which stipulated that safe country criteria must be met throughout a nation’s territory, has been a recurring obstacle.
Repeated Legal Setbacks Plague “Albania Model”
The Italian government’s initiative has faced repeated rebuffs from domestic courts. Judges previously refused to validate the detention of the initial groups of asylum seekers sent to Albania in October and November 2024, as well as in February. These rejections cited the CJEU’s October ruling concerning the broad application of “safe country” classifications.
In an attempt to circumvent these legal hurdles, Rome issued a decree in December, identifying 19 nations, including Bangladesh and Egypt, as “safe” for repatriation purposes.
EU Court Ruling Reinforces Due Process Concerns
The court’s stance emphasizes that the criteria for designating a third country as safe must be consistently applied across all regions and for all groups of people. This ruling underscores the importance of thorough assessment in asylum procedures.
In 2023, the European Union saw a significant increase in asylum applications, with over 1.1 million first-time applicants, highlighting the ongoing challenges in managing migration flows (Eurostat, 2024).
Meloni Criticizes Judicial Overreach
Giorgia Meloni expressed strong disapproval of the court’s ruling, characterizing it as an encroachment by the judiciary into political territory. She stated:
“Once again, the judiciary, this time at the European level, claims spaces that do not belong to it, in the face of responsibilities that are political.”
—Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy
The ongoing legal battles suggest that Italy’s offshore detention strategy faces substantial challenges in meeting European legal standards.