The Italian parliament on Wednesday approved a controversial deal with Albania to house asylum seekers rescued at sea in two migrant centers in Albania.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing appeal reached a deal with Albania in November, and the decision came despite legal objections in Albania.
The lower house of the Italian parliament supported the deal by 155-115 votes, with one abstention. It will then go to the Senate, where it will probably be approved.
In an agreement signed in November, Albania promised to build two centers for asylum seekers rescued at sea by the Italian coast guard, to house no more than 3,000 people at a time, pending a response to their request. Italy pays for everything.
However, because Albania is not a member of the European Union, the agreement has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and opposition politicians in both countries.
Amnesty International warned this week that the deal would violate Italy’s obligations under international law and harm migrants’ rights.
The parliamentary opposition accused Meloni of using migrants for election propaganda and said the project would have no effect on illegal immigration but would be extremely costly. According to them, the undertaking will cost more than 650 million euros within five years.
2024-01-24 14:56:00
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