Albanian-Italian Migrant Agreement and Debate: Latest Updates and Reactions

While waiting to understand if and when the Albanian Constitutional Court will give the green light to the parliamentary procedure relating to the protocol signed on the Rome-Tirana axis for the management of migrants, contested by the opposition, in Italy the bill ratifying the agreement is ready to begin its process. The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, has in fact signed the authorization for the presentation of the measure to the Chambers. The examination of the bill, according to what we learn, will begin in Montecitorio. In the seven articles that make up the text, reference is made, among other things, to organizational and financial provisions. Among the latter, the detail states that “for the construction of the structures envisaged in the areas” indicated in the protocol (Shengjin for disembarkation and identification procedures and Gjader as a detention center for repatriations) “is authorized, for the year 2024, the expenditure of 31.2 million euros in favor of the Ministry of the Interior and 8 million euros in favor of the Ministry of Justice”. The charges deriving from the establishment of the Protocol guarantee fund and for the reimbursement of expenses, it is indicated, are “evaluated at 28 million euros for the year 2024 and at 16.5 million euros for each of the years from 2025 to 2028 “. In the two areas, it is specified, “only people embarked on vehicles of the Italian authorities outside the territorial sea of ​​the Republic or other member states of the European Union, also following rescue operations”, can be brought.

Read also: Migrants set fire to the repatriation centre: “Six fires”, protest in Gradisca di Isonzo

On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will fly to Albania to visit the places where the centers will be established as part of the agreement signed last November 6 at Palazzo Chigi between the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. The latter meanwhile via social media, as well as reiterating the agreement of views on the migrant dossier with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (“the United Kingdom and Italy are working side by side to defend our common values ​​and defeat human traffickers” ), returns to attack the secretary of the Democratic Party. “I read from Elly Schlein’s statements that, during my speech in Atreju, I would have ‘raised my voice to incite the audience against the migrants who get on the boats’ – writes Meloni -. I don’t know what speech I listened to, but I think it’s enough It is clear that talking about the fight against human traffickers, about defending European borders, about giving a true, structural and definitive response to illegal immigration has nothing to do with ‘inciting audiences against migrants'”. “Allowing thousands of desperate people to entrust their hopes to unscrupulous people, who put their lives at risk, this is being against migrants”, attacks the prime minister, reiterating that she will continue “to work to put an end to human trafficking humans and deaths at sea”.

Read also: Migrants, Meloni frames Schlein: “I don’t know what he heard”

However, here is Schlein’s reply, accusing the prime minister of not having found, in the long speech held in Atreju, “even a minute to express condolences for the 61 people who drowned in Saturday’s shipwreck”. The dem therefore underlines that the choices made by the government with the Cutro decree have “the sole purpose of making it more difficult to save lives at sea”. “While you wage war on NGOs – he adds – you want to send the Italian Coast Guard to Albania to unload people who survived the shipwrecks as if they were parcels, without guaranteeing adequate protection and making Italy spend 300 million that you could have invested to help the mayors to guarantee a widespread and dignified welcome. This is not how human trafficking is combated.”

2023-12-18 21:22:00


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