Battle with the judiciary

Meloni certain: Albania plan will work

Meloni would have expected "obstacles".(Bild: AP/Omar Havana)

Despite a heavy defeat in court, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is sticking to her plans to accommodate Mediterranean refugees outside the EU. The right-wing politician is convinced that the Italy-Albania agreement is part of a sustainable solution - and she is not alone in this.

"I had foreseen that there would be obstacles, but I will overcome them: The Italy-Albania protocol will work," Meloni said on Wednesday evening, according to media reports.

"I will not allow a solution that we have found in full compliance with Italian and European law to be dismantled just because some politicians disagree with it. I am determined to continue, because I have made a commitment to the Italians to solve the migration problem," explained the right-wing populist, who has been in office for two years.

Italy and Albania agreed a year ago to set up reception centers for asylum seekers in Albania. The asylum centers will be run in accordance with Italian law and with Italian staff.

On Friday, a court in Rome declared the accommodation of the first migrants in Albania under the agreement to be unlawful. Meloni's government has lodged an appeal against this ruling with the Supreme Court. The first twelve refugees interned in Albania have since arrived in Italy on Saturday.

EU asylum agency wants to discuss Meloni's path
Meloni is receiving support from the EU of all places. The head of the EU asylum agency EUAA, Nina Gregori, has expressed her openness to asylum centers in third countries. "We are not the decision-makers, the policy is made in Brussels. But I am really very much in favor of this discussion taking place," said Gregori in an APA interview. "It must be well prepared and take into account our international obligations." At the same time, she emphasized that only a third of asylum applications in the EU come from illegal migrants.

With regard to the Italian asylum center in Albania, Gregori said that international observers were also present there. "I think this is all positive. We need to discuss various solutions together with our partner countries," emphasized the Executive Director of the EU agency based in the Maltese capital Valletta.

In this context, she pointed out that there are already resettlement systems in place to bring asylum seekers with no prospects of integration to another country - such as Canada or European countries.