Meloni is not making any progress with the Albania plan

Migration across the Mediterranean

Meloni is not making any progress with the Albania plan

Rome actually wants to decide on up to 36,000 asylum applications outside the EU every year. Current balance: zero. After the British Rwanda plans, is the next model in Europe failing?

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is threatened with the end of her big plans for deportations of Mediterranean refugees outside the EU. By order of a court in Rome, Italy once again had to accept migrants from a specially built camp in Albania. Seven men from Bangladesh and Egypt who were stopped while trying to escape to Europe were taken across the Adriatic Sea to the port city of Brindisi on a coast guard ship. The judiciary had previously decided that it was unlawful to intern migrants outside Italy.

This means another serious defeat for the plans of the right-wing coalition in Rome. Meloni came to power two years ago with the promise to massively curb irregular migration across the Mediterranean. For the chairwoman of the Fratelli d”Italia (Brothers of Italy) party, the setback is even more serious than an initial verdict from last month. At that time, 16 men from the camp in Albania were allowed to continue on to Italy. The judges now also decided on one new decree with which the government had tried to save its project.

Except for the staff, the two new camps in the non-EU country on the other side of the Adriatic are now completely empty again. It is unclear whether the expensive facilities – estimated operating costs by 2029: more than 500 million euros – will remain open at all. This is all being followed closely in other European capitals: other governments are also considering relocating asylum procedures to countries outside the EU. Under the previous Conservative government, Great Britain had already failed with the idea of ​​moving to Rwanda. Now things could turn out similarly in Italy.

The decision now lies with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg. Before that, Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, will probably make a ruling at the beginning of December. Essentially, it’s about which states are classified as so-called safe countries of origin in asylum procedures – and who decides. Does national law or European law apply? Meloni is of the opinion that establishing lists of safe countries of origin is the sovereign task of her government – not the judiciary. The Italian courts have so far referred to a different ruling by the ECJ.

The dispute has developed into a heated dispute between the government and the judiciary. From the right-wing three-party coalition, the judiciary – once highly respected in Italy for its fight against the mafia and corruption – is insulted as a stooge of the left-wing opposition. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said: “This is another political judgment – not against the government, but against the Italians and their security.” Salvini is at risk of being sentenced to prison himself next month for his harsh treatment of refugees in previous years.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani of the more moderate Forza Italia party also said: “These are a few judges who want to impose their political line on the government.” However, courts in other cities beyond Rome have also ruled accordingly. After the renewed defeat, Meloni initially remained noticeably quiet. From the seat of government, the Palazzo Chigi, it was simply said: “Nothing has changed for us. We are moving on.”

Meloni received support from billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is increasingly interfering in European politics after Donald Trump’s election victory in the USA. On his Platform X, Musk wrote: “These judges must go.” The tech billionaire and the right-wing head of government maintain close contacts.

The seven migrants were stopped in a boat near the island of Lampedusa last week and then carefully selected. Particular care was taken to ensure that these were only healthy, adult men from – in the Italian opinion – safe countries of origin. All of these were conditions for them to be brought to Albania in the first place. This also explains the low number. Five applications have already been rejected in fast-track proceedings, so that the men should actually be sent back – but the judiciary prevented this.

Italy is one of the countries particularly affected by the refugee movement to Europe. Despite a significant decline, more than 50,000 people have ended up there again this year. According to Meloni’s plans, up to 36,000 asylum applications will actually be decided on in Albania every year. Human rights activists and the opposition also consider the project to be completely overpriced. The Italian Court of Auditors is now checking whether the costs are appropriate.