The project, in which over a billion euros will be invested and which was one of the pillars of the current government’s election campaign, is a desperate and ridiculous failure.
The Italian right-wing government faces a significant and above all financially costly failure for its bold and above all populist ambitions to manage migration flows through asylum centers in Albania. Facilities are empty, abandoned by employees who have nothing to do, and are costly to operate. All the circumstances raise doubts about the viability of this project worth more than a billion euros.
The initiative, which aims to manage and limit the arrival of refugees, has faltered since its launch on October 11, 2023. Originally intended to accommodate up to 3,000 men a month, the facilities have remained largely empty and have housed only 24 asylum seekers to date. The recent withdrawal of more than 50 police officers and several social workers has sparked uproar in Italy’s political scene and questions about the government’s immigration strategy. All the more so since Prime Minister Meloni’s government relied on this sphere in the election campaign.
With costs associated with the operation estimated at €1 billion over five years, critics have labeled the failure a “financial disaster”. Riccardo Magi, president of the left-wing opposition Più Europa party, expressed his displeasure, saying: “The government has succeeded in trying to repatriate. Migrants? No, Italian workers sent to Albania who will return home at the weekend.”
Italian judges also played a role in this situation, ruling that detaining migrants in Albania before repatriating them to countries deemed safe is illegal. This decision is based on a previous decision by the European Court of Justice, which established basic criteria for assessing asylum-related processes. As a result, asylum seekers’ short stays led to their immediate transfer back to Italy. Legal experts such as Nicola Gratteri, the chief prosecutor in Naples, called the government’s move a wasteful deployment of law enforcement resources in a foreign country.
While there has been controversy surrounding the government’s handling of migration, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stood her ground, insisting the centers will “remain open and functional”. But her government’s credibility hangs in the balance as it faces public discontent over both funding cuts to essential services and a preference for immigration strategies that have produced little or no results.
Source: zpravy.tiscali.cz
