Lower house of parliament ratifies Italy-Albania agreement on migrants - Politics - Ansa.it

The lower house of parliament approved a draft agreement between Italy and Albania on the establishment of two centers for the reception of migrants on Albanian territory, where asylum applications of migrants who survived at sea and refugees rescued by Italian authorities will be processed. 155 MPs voted in favor of ratifying the draft, 115 against and two abstained. The decision now goes to the Senate for final approval.

The agreement, signed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama inRome in November, provides for the reception and processing of up to 3,000 migrants and refugees each month. Excluded from the agreement are people with special needs, such as the elderly, children or pregnant women, migrants and refugees rescued by NGO boats, and people caught directly on Italian territory.

In December, the Albanian constitutional court suspended ratification of the agreement in the Albanian parliament pending a decision on a challenge to the plan.

Since coming to power in the fall of 2022, the Meloni government has begun to actively cooperate with third countries to prevent illegal migration across the sea to Italy, which in 2023 increased by about 50% compared to the previous year.

Draft agreement between Italy and Albania

The lower house of parliament approved a draft agreement between Italy and Albania on the establishment of two centers for the reception of migrants on Albanian territory, where asylum applications of migrants who survived at sea and refugees rescued by Italian authorities will be processed. 155 MPs voted in favor of ratifying the draft, 115 against and two abstained. The decision now goes to the Senate for final approval.

Key provisions of the agreement

• The agreement signed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama in Rome in November provides for the reception and processing of up to 3,000 migrants and refugees each month.
• The agreement excludes individuals with special needs, such as the elderly, children, or pregnant women, migrants and refugees rescued by NGO ships, as well as people who have directly entered Italian territory.

Decision of the Albanian Constitutional Court

In December, the Albanian constitutional court suspended ratification of the agreement in the Albanian parliament pending a decision on a challenge to the plan. At the time, Rama said he was "confident" in the court's assessment of the agreement because it "has nothing unconstitutional" and expected a decision to be made "much earlier" than the March deadline.

Measures of Meloni's government

Since coming to power in the fall of 2022, the Meloni government has begun to actively cooperate with third countries to prevent illegal migration across the sea to Italy, which in 2023 increased by about 50% compared to the previous year.