Opening of Italy’s migrant centres in Albania delayed

The opening of two Italian-run migrant centres in Albania scheduled for Monday (20 May) has been delayed due to unfinished construction work, an Albanian port official said.

Albania is to receive migrants plucked from international waters at a centre at Shengjin on the Adriatic Sea, and then process them at another centre inland, under a controversial deal struck with Italy.

Sander Marashi, director of the Shengjin port said: there will be no migrants on Monday because “construction work is ongoing” at the port.

Italian and Albanian authorities have remained tight-lipped about rumoured delays.

Last week, the ANSA news agency reported that the delay was caused by setbacks in construction works carried out by Italian companies.

“The Italian military engineers working on the Shengjin and Gjader sites under the agreement between Rome and Tirana, have not yet completed the construction of the reception facilities,” the Italian news agency reported.

In early May, only about a dozen small prefabricated blocks were installed at the Shengjin port centre.

Once finished, the 4,000-square-metre site will be surrounded by four-metre-high walls, according to local authorities.

After registration, the migrants would be taken to Gjader, a former military base some 20 kilometres from the port. They would stay there while their asylum applications are handled.

The two centres, funded and managed by Italy, could accommodate up to 3,000 migrants at any one time who have been rescued by Italian vessels at sea.

Italy will completely cover the expenses for the construction, security, and medical care of asylum seekers, which are estimated at €650 to €750 million over five years.

The number of people trying to reach Europe via Italy increased significantly in 2023, according to the Italian interior ministry.

Last year, 157,652 people arrived on the Italian shore compared to 105,131 in 2022.

The International Organisation for Migration said that more than 3,000 undocumented migrants went missing trying to make the hazardous crossing from North Africa last year.

Read more with Euractiv

Meloni seeks to unite Europe’s right parties, edges closer to Le Pen

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated her mission to unite Europe’s right-wing parties in an interview on Monday, which, after more conciliatory words from French Rassemblement National leader Marine Le Pen the day before, may mark a growing rapprochement between parties that have not always seen eye-to-eye.