In a move designed to deter migrants from entering the European Union, Italy has begun sending migrants to Albania for processing. 

Under a new initiative, two reception centers have been built in Albania to manage the arrival of migrants hoping to reach Italy. The first ship of migrants arrived at an Albanian port on Wednesday consisting of 16 migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt, according to a report by Reuters.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized that the program sets an example for the rest of Europe. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi noted that 15 European countries have expressed interest in Italy's approach, calling it “the greatest proof of the innovative value of the initiative that aims to fight illegal immigration without affecting the guarantees of people's fundamental rights.”

The decision comes amid growing debate across Europe on how to handle the ongoing migrant influx. Several countries, including Germany and Poland, have proposed tougher measures to curb migration. The UK had planned to send asylum seekers to Rwanda before Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office, who stopped the plan from taking effect. 

Migrants sent to Albania will be processed in Shengjin and later moved to a nearby village, where they will stay while their asylum applications are reviewed. Those granted asylum will be sent to Italy, while those rejected will be deported to their home countries. Italian personnel staff the Albanian facilities, which are capped at a total maximum capacity of 3,000 migrants under the agreement between the two nations. Italy noted that only “non-vulnerable” men from countries deemed safe will be transferred to Albania.

Since taking office in 2022, Prime Minister Meloni has made immigration a priority, achieving a 64 percent decrease in illegal immigration. Italy, as one of the southernmost EU nations, faces significant pressure from migration routes across the Mediterranean.

"It’s not easy. We’ve worked hard to achieve this goal. We are very happy for this,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in September, in response to the reduction in illegal immigration. “We are not against legal immigration, rather against illegal immigration. Human traffickers are the most important part of crime. They are human traffickers, weapon traffickers, drug traffickers. They [belong to] the same organization, but we need to be very strong and to fight against these organizations, and we are doing it."