Dozens of migrants leave Albania after Italian court ruling

Dozens of migrants left Italian-run facilities in Albania on Saturday after judges in Rome refused to approve their detention, in another setback for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

An Italian boat carrying 43 migrants departed from the Albanian port of Shengjin for the Italian port of Bari, according to an AFP journalist.

The migrants arrived in Albania on Tuesday, the third group transferred under Italy's effort to outsource migrant processing to a non-EU country and speed up repatriations of failed asylum seekers.

Other European nations are watching the scheme closely, but it has been heavily criticised by rights groups and has faced repeated holdups. No migrant has spent more than a few days at the centre in Albania.

On Friday, Rome's Court of Appeals referred the case of the latest group of 43 migrants to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), an Italian government source told AFP.

The ECJ is already examining legal questions raised by several Italian courts over the scheme.

An Italian interior ministry source said Saturday the government would not give up the scheme it said had been discussed by EU ministers this week.

The EU is considering controversial plans to set up dedicated return centres outside the 27-country bloc. "The government, therefore, will move forward," the source said.

The 43 were among 49 people intercepted by the Italian authorities as they tried to cross the Mediterranean.

Most hailed from Bangladesh, while there were also six Egyptians, one man from Ivory Coast and one from Gambia, said rights associations.

Far-right leader Meloni signed a deal with Albanian premier Edi Rama in November 2023 to open two Italian-run centres in Albania, which became operational in October 2024.

They are only open to adult men who are eligible for accelerated processing.