Italian judges rule that 12 migrants must return to Italy in a major setback for the highly contested scheme.

A court in Rome on Friday ruled against the detention of 12 migrants sent for processing at centres in Albania, just days after Italy launched the controversial scheme.

The judges did not validate the detention of the migrants, based on a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice, on the grounds that the countries they come from - Bangladesh and Egypt - are not designated as "safe".

The court ruled that the migrants must be returned to Italy.

Earlier this week the right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni opened two migrant centres in Albania to process male migrants rescued at sea by Italian authorities, amid strong criticism from human rights groups.

The first 16 migrants - 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt - were taken to Albania on Wednesday aboard an Italian navy ship however four were promptly sent back to Italy: two were minors and two had health problems.

Reaction to court ruling

The ruling was slammed as "asburd" by Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia party on social media.

"The judicial left comes to the aid of the parliamentary left" - reads a post by Fratelli d'Italia on X - "Some politicised magistrates have decided that there are no safe countries of origin: it is impossible to detain those who enter illegally, it is forbidden to repatriate illegal immigrants. They would like to abolish Italy's borders, we will not allow it." 

The Lega, part of the ruling coalition with Fratelli d'Italia and Forza Italia, struck a similar note on X: "On the very day of the hearing of the Open Arms trial against Matteo Salvini, the order that does not validate the detention of immigrants in Albania is particularly unacceptable and serious. Pro-immigrant judges should run for office, but know that we will not be intimidated."

Meloni herself lashed out against opposition parties on the left, naming the Partito Democratico, Movimento 5 Stelle and the Green and Left Alliance, accusing them of asking the European Commission "whether it intends to open an infringement procedure against Italy" in relation to the migration deal with Albania.

Pd, M5S e AVS hanno presentato un’interrogazione alla Commissione europea chiedendo se intende aprire una procedura d’infrazione contro l’Italia per l’accordo sui flussi migratori con l’Albania. Avete capito bene: alcuni partiti italiani stanno di fatto sollecitando l’Europa a…

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) October 18, 2024

"You understood correctly" - Meloni wrote on social media - "some Italian parties are in fact urging Europe to sanction their own nation and its citizens, with the sole aim of politically attacking this Government. A disgrace that cannot go unnoticed."

Under a five-year deal signed last November by Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama, the centres in Shengjin and Gjader in northern Albania are designed to process and accommodate up to 3,000 male migrants per month while Italian authorities deal with their asylum claims.

Constructed by Italy at a reported cost of €670 million, the centres are under Italian jurisdiction and are staffed by around 500 Italian personnel including prison guards, police and soldiers.

Photo credit: Alessio Tricani / Shutterstock.com.