Criticism of migrant deal: “Italian Guantánamo”

Thousands of migrants could be sent from Italy to camps in Albania to have their asylum cases heard, under a new agreement between the countries. But among the Italian opposition, harsh criticism is directed at the agreement.

– They are more or less creating an Italian Guantánamo, says Riccardo Magi, chairman of the left-wing party Più Europa.

When Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suddenly interrupted her summer vacation in idyllic Apulia to board a ferry to Albania in the August heat, it caused some surprise in the Italian media.

Albania has certainly risen as a favorite travel destination in Italy – in the past summer alone, close to half a million Italians are said to have visited the country – and Albanian President Edi Rama declared that he sent a personal invitation to Meloni, writes Il Foglio.

– Giorgia and her family will spend a few days here with us to relax, Rama told the Italian newspaper.

But that the Italian prime minister did not just hang out on the beach and drink aperitivo during the visit is increasingly clear after she and her Albanian colleague in Rome on Monday presented a new migrant agreement between the countries.

According to the agreement, up to 36,000 people can be sent from Italy to Albania, where they will live in camps while waiting to receive their asylum applications. The camps are planned to open already in the spring of 2024.

“Seems to contravene international law”

The announcement comes after Italy experienced a massive influx of migrants over the past year – not least to the island of Lampedusa. The country has so far received over 144,000 people, which is an increase of 65 percent compared to the same time last year, according to UNHCR.

Monday’s announcement from the two countries’ prime ministers, however, caused some consternation – not least within the EU, where a spokesman for the commission claims that they received “more or less zero warning” about the agreement, writes The Guardian.

Italy’s opposition directs massive criticism at the agreement, which according to Elly Schlein, leader of the social democratic PD, “seems to be against both international law and European law”, according to Il Sole 24 Ore.

– Meloni should rather convince his nationalist allies in Europe to share responsibility for the reception of migrants, she says.

Riccardo Magi, chairman of the left-wing party Più Europa (More Europe), also criticizes the countries’ agreement, writes La Repubblica.

– They are more or less creating an Italian Guantánamo, beyond international regulations and outside the EU, he says.

Silence from Salvini

The agreement also appears to be creating some confusion within Meloni’s own right-wing nationalist coalition government.

Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right Lega party, who previously accused the Italian prime minister of losing control of migration – chose to meet the announcement with compact silence for 24 hours.

It has been interpreted in the Italian media as Salvini may have been unaware of the content of the agreement before it was made public. Only on Tuesday did he comment on the agreement – ​​in somewhat dry terms on X.

“It is good that the government has signed an agreement to send illegal immigrants trying to enter our country to Albania. It is a concrete and significant step,” writes Salvini in the post.

THE FACTS Migration in Italy

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