Italy to resume sending asylum seekers to Albania after court ruling

Jan 9, 2025 - Italy will resume sending asylum seekers to Albania this month after legal battles brought operations to a halt last year. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that facilities in Gjadër and Shëngjin are ready to resume operations following a decisive ruling by Italy’s Supreme Court.

Meloni, speaking at her annual press conference on Thursday, described the move as a win for migration control. “The centers in Albania are ready to operate again. Thankfully, landings have already fallen by 60% over the past year, and in recent weeks, we’ve had none,” she said.

Deportations were suspended after Rome courts blocked transfers, questioning Albania’s status as a "safe country of origin." However, December’s Supreme Court ruling confirmed the government’s right to send asylum seekers to nations deemed safe, clearing the way for operations to resume.

Meloni said the decision reflects her government’s commitment to securing Italy’s borders and tackling illegal migration head-on. She also noted that further clarity will come when the European Union releases its list of safe countries, providing a unified approach across member states.