Italy: Construction of migrant centers in Albania falls behind schedule

Rome: The construction of Italy’s closed migrant centers in Albania for migrants picked up at sea is several weeks behind schedule, it was reported on Thursday.

According to sources the delays are partly due to the hot weather in Albania, which limited the working hours of the construction crews.

Last week, Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, a close associate of Meloni, noted that the opening of the facilities has been delayed by a few weeks.

Italian Prime Minister had originally announced that the facilities will be ready on August 1st.

Meloni’s government signed an agreement with Albania last year for two camps, one in the port of Shengjin and another in Dukagjin, that would accommodate approximately 36,000 migrants in total.

Opposition parties and human rights organizations have condemned the plan. Amnesty International announced this week that the plan is a “stain on the Italian government.”

Italy is expected to spend a total of 670 million euros over five years for the closed centers. Meloni has stated that asylum applications will be processed within 28 days, instead of the several months it currently takes.