ROME, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reaffirmed her government's commitment to moving forward with migration and asylum-processing centers in Albania, according to a Friday report by Italy's ANSA news agency.
Speaking after the first intergovernmental summit between Italy and Albania alongside Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday, Meloni said the centers would become fully operational once the new European Union migration and asylum pact comes into force.
Italy and Albania signed a five-year agreement in November 2023 to set up two facilities to receive migrants who intend to seek asylum in Italy and are rescued in Italy's Mediterranean search-and-rescue zone by the Italian navy and coast guard.
The project has faced significant delays due to judicial challenges, including disagreements between Italy and the EU over which countries qualify as "safe countries of origin," limiting the transfer and processing of migrants from states previously considered safe.
Financial costs have also drawn scrutiny. A study by ActionAid Italy and the University of Bari in July found that the migrant hub in Albania cost seven times more than an equivalent center in Italy. Italy reportedly paid about 570,000 euros (662,368 U.S. dollars) to the cooperative operating the Albanian facility, despite it being active for only five days and hosting just 20 migrants.
Meloni blamed the setbacks on "multiple factors," saying many had attempted to slow or obstruct the project, while emphasizing Italy's determination to proceed.
Opposition leaders were sharply critical. Elly Schlein called it "800 million euros wasted on empty prisons," while Giuseppe Conte said Meloni had effectively acknowledged that "two years have been lost in Albania." (1 euro = 1.16 U.S. dollar)
