Jan 30, 2024. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
The agreement between Italy and Albania for immigrants and the decision of the Albanian Constitutional Court for its approval, has echoed in the foreign media.
Next to dedicate an article to the issue is French media outlet RFI , saying the deal has sparked outrage among politicians in both countries and human rights groups.
The article
adds, among other things, that the agreement has been condemned by opposition
parties in both countries, resulting in a legal challenge for justice in
Tirana.
Albania's
Constitutional Court on Monday approved a controversial agreement signed with
Italy to host migrants rescued in Italian waters in two detention centers. But
the deal has sparked outrage among politicians in both countries and human
rights groups who describe it as "inhumane". The agreement has been
condemned by opposition parties in both countries, as well as rights groups,
resulting in a legal challenge for justice in Tirana.
"The
agreement does not harm the territorial integrity of Albania", the court
statement says.
The
decision comes just days after Italian MPs voted in favor of the deal, with the
lower house of parliament backing the protocol by 155 votes to 115 with two
abstentions. During the parliamentary debate, opposition MPs accused Prime
Minister Giorgia Meloni of using immigrants as "electoral
propaganda", saying the project would have little impact on the numbers
and was prohibitively expensive. Now the text goes to the Italian Senate, where
its approval is expected. The agreement allows for the creation of two centers
near the Albanian port of Shengjin, where migrants would register for asylum,
as well as a facility in the same region to house those awaiting a response to
their applications. The two centers, to be managed by Italy, can hold a maximum
of 3,000 people at any one time while they await a decision on their claims.
They estimated the cost at more than 650 million euros over the 5-year term of
the agreement.
The
Albanian right-wing opposition has criticized Prime Minister Edi Rama for the
alleged lack of transparency on the agreement, calling the agreement an
"irresponsible and dangerous action for national security". The NGO
International Rescue Committee has condemned the agreement as
"inhumane", while Amnesty International described it as "illegal
and unenforceable". The Albanian authorities have said that the agreement
is in accordance with the previous treaties signed with Italy, with
international law and the country's constitution.
He is
accused of revealing official secrets before the elections, a drastic decision
is taken against the former prime minister
The
Constitutional Court takes the decision on Skavica
"We
are not selling a piece of Albanian land," Interior Minister Taulant Balla
told French news agency AFP during an interview last month.
Jurisdiction
within the camp would be Italian, but the land would remain in Albanian hands,
he added. According to the Albanian authorities, Italy will pay for the
construction of the two centers and the necessary infrastructure, as well as
the costs related to the security and medical care of the asylum seekers.
sot
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