ROME, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Italy's navy announced on Sunday that it was transporting 49 migrants rescued in international waters to detention centers in Albania, as part of a renewed effort to reduce sea arrivals amid legal disputes.
Under Giorgia Meloni's leadership, Italy established two reception centers in Albania, a strategy that involves an EU member state redirecting migrants to a non-EU nation. However, these facilities have been vacant since November due to legal challenges.
According to the ministry, a patrol vessel is currently en route to Albania with 49 migrants, while another 53 individuals, who provided passports to delay immediate relocation, are in Italy awaiting their status verification.
This transfer signifies a fresh endeavor by the government to implement its policy, following questioning by Rome judges on its legitimacy, prompting the relocation of the first two groups of migrants from Albania back to Italy.
The contentious aspect of the initiative, viewed by Meloni as pivotal to her administration's immigration control efforts, stems from a ruling by the European Court of Justice last year, unrelated to Italy. The Court determined that no country can be considered entirely safe if even a portion of it poses a risk, challenging Rome's plan to send migrants from selected "safe" nations to Albania for prompt repatriation.
In the upcoming weeks, the European court is expected to evaluate Italy's strategy and clarify its compliance with EU regulations.