Italy’s Senate has removed the last barrier to formalize a plan allowing the country to process asylum claims on Albanian soil.
Earlier this week, the Upper House gave the green light with 93 votes in favor and 61 against.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama reached an agreement in November on the reception and processing of up to 3,000 migrants and refugees rescued by Italian ships per month.
Under the terms of the plan, would-be asylum seekers rescued at sea can be brought to one of two migrant centers in Albania for processing, with their asylum cases being decided by Italian judges. If rejected, they would be sent back to their home country by Albania.
The agreement stipulates that children, pregnant women, the sick, the disabled or otherwise “vulnerable” would be taken directly to processing centers in Italy.
