Premier Giorgia Meloni is under fire following a Rome court’s decision that deemed the detention of twelve migrants at a new processing centre in Albania unlawful. The judges ruled that the migrants’ countries of origin—Bangladesh and Egypt—are not considered safe, raising significant questions about Italy’s immigration strategy.
In a press briefing from Beirut, Meloni voiced her frustration, insisting it is the government’s responsibility to determine what constitutes a safe country. “I do not believe it is up to the judiciary to define which countries are safe and which are not,” she stated. To address the ruling, she has called a Cabinet meeting on Monday to explore ways to navigate around this judicial setback.
The court’s ruling has sparked fierce criticism from Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, with the Premier accusing the judges of bias against her government’s efforts to manage immigration. “It is very difficult to work and try to give answers to this nation when you also have opposition from part of the institutions that should help give answers,” she said, reflecting the frustration felt by many in her administration.
Opposition figures and human rights advocates have also weighed in, condemning the Albanian processing centres as costly and ineffective. They argue that with an estimated budget of €800 million, these centres merely create a “new Guantanamo” while handling only a small fraction of the over 100,000 migrants arriving in Italy each year.
Conversely, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the initiative, describing it as a potential model for other countries. Meloni said that the interest in her proposal has been widespread, claiming that “all of Europe is talking about the Italy-Albania model.”
In the aftermath of the ruling, Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini’s League party labelled the judges’ decision as “unacceptable.” They suggested that judges with pro-migrant leanings should consider entering politics rather than influencing policy through their rulings.
Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa said he was very, very astonished at the court’s decision. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed plans to appeal the ruling up to the Supreme Court, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the migrant processing initiative.
