Navigating Asylum: Italy's Controversial Albania Transfer Deal

An Italian naval ship is transporting asylum seekers to Albania to process applications under a new five-year deal. The move faces legal challenges after a court ruled the migrants' countries, like Bangladesh and Egypt, unsafe for repatriation. The initiative, led by Italy's government, has received criticism from human rights groups.

An Italian naval vessel, Libra, is currently on a mission to transport migrants to Albania to have their asylum applications processed outside the European Union, under a newly established five-year arrangement.

This initiative, however, is facing a legal hurdle. A court ruling in Rome deemed the countries of origin for some of these migrants, including Bangladesh and Egypt, as unsafe for repatriation, forcing the initial group to return to Italy.

Despite the legal challenges and criticism from human rights organizations, Premier Giorgia Meloni stands behind the deal, which aims to manage increased migrant arrivals. The program is designed to process up to 3,000 migrants monthly, utilizing two centers in Albania.

(With inputs from agencies.)