The Albanian government has published the full text of the Italy-Albania protocol on the management of migratory flows. The 14 articles of the agreement and the two annexes can be consulted in Albanian on the website of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The first refers to the areas intended for the construction of structures for entry procedures and to verify the conditions of recognition of international protection and repatriation of immigrants who do not have the right to enter and reside in Italian territory. Reference is made to a map with the identification of the areas, which, however, is not illustrated. The second annex deals with the “regulation of reimbursements from the Italian side to the Albanian side” and, among other things, provides that within a period of 90 days from the entry into force of the agreement, Rome will credit Tirana “16 .5 million euros” for the first year of application of the protocol.” In the same period, Italy must create a guarantee fund in a bank operating in Albania.
ANSA Agency Blanchett in the European Parliament: “The subcontracting of immigrants is inhumane and harmful” – News – Ansa.it The warning issued by the UNHCR ambassador to the European Chamber (ANSA) Branch: ‘A reception center and a first arrival center in Albania’
According to the protocol signed with Italy, in Albania there will only be one reception center with three thousand places and a place of first arrival, where immigrants will be welcomed “in decent conditions” and then transferred to the only center provided. This was stated to Rainews24 by the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, clarifying that these are not two reception centers. In any case, he pointed out, in the same area Tirana hosted more than 4,000 Afghans in the past and now, with the planned rotation, around 36,000 people will be able to be accommodated in the period provided for by the protocol. Edi Rama then responded to suspicions of compensation promised by Italy, stating that it is only about “returning all the good that this country has done for us from ’89 onwards.” Finally, the Prime Minister described as unfounded, especially in response to the issues raised in Albania, the fears of an impact on the Albanian economy and, in particular, on tourism, following the reception of immigrants. Rama was then asked why he had only accepted Italy’s request, despite having received requests from other countries. “Because Italy has been close to us since 1989, when we were in deep water, when we were on the edge of the precipice, they brought us incredible help. When the earthquake hit, the Italian firefighters sacrificed their lives for us. , a country where Albanians feel at home, not only when traveling for work but also for tourism.” The Albanian Prime Minister then confirmed that there was no counterpart. “Entry into the EU is not done like this: ‘take 30,000 immigrants and we will let you enter the EU’, also because I do not see ours as a magic solution for immigrants arriving in Italy.” “We are not in the EU but we are a European country and we cannot understand why, in the face of wars everywhere, we cannot have a normal dialogue to understand how we resolve this.” “There are European states that are closed, that do not want people of another color or religion, that have welcomed millions of Ukrainians because they are white and Christian, and others, like Sweden, that have welcomed everyone and now have public order problems. – he continued – “We must find a European way to regularize the flows while respecting the right of all human beings to be saved by rejecting criminals. “They are issues that cannot be resolved through a political war.” “Italy has made the investments without compensation – he added – because of our bond, which has deep roots.”
EU: Albania continues to have shortcomings in migrant repatriation
“The legal framework on migration” in Albania is “largely aligned” with European laws, but needs to be “updated in line with developments on the EU front.” This is what we read in the report on Albania, contained in the enlargement package presented today by the European Commission. Tirana “has contributed to the management of mixed migration flows to the EU”, but, according to the report, “no progress has been made in terms of referrals and access to asylum procedures and deficiencies in repatriation procedures persist.” Albania should take “concrete measures to respond to the needs of unaccompanied minors and align its visa policy with that of the EU.” The report also underlines the need for “continued and sustained efforts” to address the phenomenon of asylum applications lodged by Albanian citizens in EU Member States and Schengen associated countries, which, although lower than the pre-pandemic level, “has increased again in 2022.”
Tajani: “The agreement with Tirana respects EU rules”
“The agreement signed with the Albanian State respects all community rules, very different from other agreements concluded by other countries. Its objective is to have maximum security and guarantee that those who have not respected the rules and do not have the right to enter Italy can be accompanied back to their countries of origin. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, in a conversation with journalists at the end of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tokyo.
“Only Italian military ships can go to those ports and not NGO ships. Only people who are not minors or pregnant women can go to those centers,” he stressed. “It is an agreement drawn up in full respect of community rules and I believe it is a positive choice.”
Piantedosi: ‘Criticism of the agreement with Albania? It’s innovative.” Crippa: “Diplomacy is good, but the landings must be stopped”
The working hypothesis is that of a structure for the detention of asylum seekers from safe countries, the result of collaboration with a friendly and brother country, as stated by the Albanian Prime Minister Rama. I understand that innovative things often spark debates, but you will see that everything will develop according to a logic that we have announced some time ago and that we are working on. It is part of this global plan.” This was expressed by the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, about the Italy-Albania agreement, on the sidelines of a conference of the Fund for religious buildings. The minister confirmed that jurisdiction over these centers will be Italian. Regarding the modalities with which it will be implemented, Piantedosi added that “this will later be seen in the implementation that the agreement that was signed in the first instance must have.”
“I do not question the agreement with Albania. It is not a false agreement, but a good step,” affirms in the Chamber the undersecretary of the League, Andrea Crippa. Later to Huffingtonpost, he states: “The point is this: the diplomatic route is fine, Meloni’s agreement with Albania is excellent. But Italy must act like Italy. And when Salvini did it, the Minister of the Interior stopped illegal immigration. Take responsibility, go to court. Perhaps this has led others to be more cautious on these issues. The choice of security decrees and the blocking of NGOs has borne fruit. In our opinion, the path is that of the master “So the agreements are going well, hoping that they will also extend to other countries.”
Sources from the Chigi Palace, the deputy prime ministers fully involved in the agreement
“The reconstructions according to which the Italy-Albania agreement was not shared by the Prime Minister with the Government’s allies are totally imaginative.” This was reported by sources from the Chigi Palace. “On the contrary – it is explained -, there was from the beginning the full involvement of the two deputy prime ministers Salvini and Tajani and the agreement was built step by step with the full collaboration of the ministries involved, starting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs , Interior and Justice”.
