Italy to reopen repatriation hubs in Albania

Rome: To prevent Albania’s facilities from going unused, Italy plans to repurpose them as return hubs – an option that could become viable once Commissioner Magnus Brunner’s plan takes effect.

Although operational since October, the migrant reception hubs in Shëngjin and Gjadër, Albania, have remained empty due to ongoing legal disputes. The centers are awaiting a ruling from the European Court of Justice -expected by the end of May- after the Rome Tribunal referred the case to determine which countries can be classified as “safe” for returning migrants.

To navigate this deadlock ahead of the ruling, the Italian government is considering repurposing the facilities into Centers for Permanent Repatriation (CPR). Instead of hosting migrants intercepted in international waters, as originally planned, the centers would be used to detain irregular migrants already in Italy who are set for deportation.

After months of speculation, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed part of the plan in an interview with La Stampa on Monday. “The Albanian centers could help strengthen the repatriation system for irregular migrants who have no right to remain in Italy,” he said, adding that they could be turned into CPRs because they are already equipped to handle deportations and that there would be no additional costs.

According to Italian media reports, ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 28 March, the government is working on a new “Albania decree” to authorise the use of the centers as repatriation facilities. However, this would require amending the existing agreements with Albania.

However, following criticism against the protocol from the opposition, the situation in Tirana is far from smooth, especially with Albania’s elections approaching on 11 May.

Later in the day, however, Piantedosi downplayed the situation, explaining that the migration centers in Albania “cannot become CPRs because one already exists within a multipurpose facility. We only need to activate it as soon as possible, considering the need to recover available spaces in CPRs across the national territory,” stressing that “this will not change its original function, which is multipurpose.”

Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein criticized the plan, stating, “The protocol only allows a small part of the Albanian centers to be used as CPRs, so converting them would still require revising the agreement with Albania and changing the law. Claiming that this conversion would not involve additional costs is ridiculous. Furthermore, one of the two centers, in Shëngjin, is not even equipped with accommodations, making it practically useless.”