Premier Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet will approve a decree later today to address the legal issue over 12 migrants detained at an Italian-run centre in Gjader, Albania. A Rome court had refused to validate their detention, citing that Bangladesh and Egypt, their countries of origin, are not considered safe countries.
The Italian government has planned to issue a list of safe countries. On Friday, Meloni said it was the government’s role to define what constitutes a safe country for migration.
The court’s decision provoked a strong response from senior cabinet members. Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini accused the judges of being “politicised.”
A European Commission spokesman also commented on Italy’s migrant measures, stressing they must comply with EU law. He said, “We are aware of the ruling in Italy and we are in contact with the Italian authorities: at the moment there is no European list of safe third countries, the member states have national lists, but it is expected that we will work on it.”
The spokesman clarified that the Rome-Tirana agreement will follow national law while adhering to international protection standards set by EU law. He added, “We have also said that all these measures must be fully compliant with Community law and must not weaken it.”
The first 12 migrants sent to Albania returned to Italy after the Rome court upheld a European Court of Justice ruling. The ruling determined that Egypt and Bangladesh were not safe countries, dealing a blow to the scheme. Meloni aims to resolve this by creating a stronger list of safe countries that cannot be easily challenged.
