Italian coastguard vessel picks up migrants from Albania to transfer to Italy

19/10/2024 18:47

        An Italian coastguard vessel collected migrants held in reception centres in Albania on Saturday to transfer them to Italy, after a court ruling dealt a blow to Rome's plans to house migrants picked up at sea outside the EU.
        
        The Italian government vowed on Friday to push ahead with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's flagship project to divert asylum-seekers abroad, saying it would appeal against the legal decision that migrants in reception centres in Albania should be taken to Italy.
        
        A cabinet meeting will be held on Monday to decide on the government's response. The migrants were taken to Albania earlier this week by an Italian navy ship. They originally numbered 16, but four have already been brought to Italy for health reasons or because they were minors.
        
        The court said the 12 migrants in the new Albanian facility of Gjader had to return to Italy because their countries of origin -- Egypt and Bangladesh -- could not be considered safe.
        
        Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told a news conference he was confident the decision would be overturned, adding that the government would take its appeal right up to the Supreme Court if necessary.
        
        Only migrants coming from a list of 22 nations Italy has classified as safe can be sent to Albania.