The Italian government has begun the process of sending illegal migrants, including Bangladeshi nationals, who entered the country via the Mediterranean Sea from Libya and Tunisia, to Albania.
Ten Bangladeshis and six Egyptian nationals were among the first group to be dispatched to the Balkan state on Tuesday, reports Il Messaggero, a mainstream Italian media outlet.
The measures are part of Italy's broader strategy to curb illegal immigration across the Mediterranean.
In a bid to facilitate the plan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed a contract with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Nov 6, 2023.
Italy has built two reception centres in Albania under the agreement, marking the first instance of a European Union nation transferring migrants to a non-EU country in an effort to deter irregular arrivals, Reuters reports.
With the approval of the EU, the first group of migrants to be processed under the new arrangement was picked up at sea aboard boats that had set sail from Libya's Sabratha and Zuawarah by the ship 'Marina Military' on Sunday.
The ship then set off for the Albanian town of Shëngjin with the asylum seekers and was set to dock on Tuesday.
Upon arrival, the migrants would be transferred to a camp in the city of Gjadër. Under the policy, rescued migrants must apply for asylum in Albania, where their applications will be scrutinised by Italian judges, Il Messaggero reports.
The Italian government ordered the completion of the entire process in 28 days, after which migrants will be informed of the outcome.
Successful applicants will be able to enter Italy, while the EU will pay for the others to be sent to their home countries.
Bangladesh has recently been designated as a 'safe country' by Italy, which means asylum claims from Bangladeshi nationals will typically not be accepted by the European nation.
—bdnews24.com
