January 30 (SeeNews) - The Albanian constitutional court said it has approved a deal with Italy under which Albania will accommodate migrants while their asylum requests are being processed.
Opposition parliament members challenged the agreement in court in November, alleging that it violated the constitution by ceding territory and state power to Italy.
The constitutional court ruled on Monday the deal doesn't violate the constitution. The agreement is now eligible for approval by the parliament, the court added. The deal has already been approved by Italy’s lower chamber of parliament and is awaiting approval from the Italian Senate, where it is also expected to be approved.
The deal involves the establishment of a migrant screening centre at the Shengjin port in north-western Albania and another inland centre capable of accommodating up to 3,000 migrants in total during the remaining asylum or repatriation processes, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said in November. In case Italy denies asylum, Albania will deport the migrants.
As many as 155,754 migrants arrived to Italy by sea in 2023, some 50% more than in 2022, the country’s interior ministry reported earlier.
The agreement has drawn criticism from both opposition parties and rights groups. Earlier this month, international human rights organisation Amnesty International said its implementation could negatively impact human rights, including the rights to life and physical integrity of people in distress at sea, thus breaching Italy’s obligations under EU law.