
The migrant centers in Gjadra and Shëngjin have been placed at the center of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's new proposal for managing immigration in the European Union, following the recent crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
According to Italian media, Italy will present a plan to set up repatriation centers based on the model implemented in Albania at the meeting of EU interior ministers on Tuesday. Unlike the bilateral agreement between Rome and Tirana, Meloni proposes that the financing of these structures be covered mainly by the European Union and not only by Italy as in the case of the Albanian centers.
The centers set up in Gjadra and Shëngjin are part of the agreement between Albania and Italy to house illegal immigrants caught in international waters. However, their operation has faced legal obstacles, as the implementation of the agreement has been blocked in several cases by Italian courts.
Despite these difficulties, the Italian government considers the Albanian model a valid basis for building a European system of immigration management. According to reports, Meloni believes that the proposal enjoys broad support among EU member states.
As an argument for this, she refers to a letter signed by 22 heads of state and government of the European Union, promoted by Italy. “The scenes from Ceuta showed how urgent a European response is,” Meloni is quoted as saying, adding that the growing support for this approach shows that the Italian line is gaining more and more support.
The proposal comes after a wave of migrants hit Ceuta, where around 60,000 people, mainly from Morocco, reportedly crossed the border into Spanish territory. The crisis has sparked intense debate within the European Union over the need for new, common mechanisms for controlling immigration and repatriating illegal immigrants.
An emergency EU meeting is expected on Tuesday regarding the issues.