Meloni sticks to Albania migrant camps scheme despite court ruling

The Italian right-wing government has said it intends to continue to pursue plans to examine asylum applications outside the EU, despite a legal defeat over the processing of the first group of migrants that arrived at Italy’s new camps set up in Albania.

Following Friday’s decision by a court in Rome, 12 migrants whose applications were supposed to be decided in Albania would have to be brought to Italy on Saturday.

The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that it will appeal against the ruling and will hold a special cabinet meeting on Monday.

Italy is the first state in the EU to set up centres for refugees outside the bloc.

The court based its decision on the fact that the 12 men come from countries that are not deemed safe – Egypt and Bangladesh – thus making them ineligible for the new migration scheme.

Meloni then announced that her coalition of three right-wing parties would pass further regulations.

“I don’t think it’s up to the judiciary to decide which countries are safe, it’s up to the government,” said the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party.

Following the court ruling, the migrants were being taken by an Italian coast guard ship from Albania across the Adriatic Sea to the southern Italian port city of Bari.

The men were part of an initial group of 16 migrants who were picked up by the Italian authorities while crossing the Mediterranean and brought to Albania on Wednesday.

Four of them where then allowed to continue on to Italy because they are minors or have serious health problems.

The Italian opposition has already labelled Meloni’s plan to have asylum applications decided outside Italy and the EU as a failure.

In Albania, their applications are to be examined by Italian officials in a fast-track procedure. Those who are entitled to asylum will be allowed to travel on to Italy, while all others must return.

Up to 3,000 asylum seekers are to be accommodated in the newly opened camps at the same time.

However, only adult men from countries of origin categorized as safe are to be send there. The regulation does not apply to children, women, sick people and victims of torture, who may go straight on to Italy.

The controversial Italian plan is being closely monitored by other EU states.