Rama-Meloni Pact, the opening of migrant centers in Albania is postponed

The opening of two centers for migrants in Albania, which will be run by Italy, has been postponed because the works have not been completed, an Albanian official said.

They were scheduled to open on Monday, May 20.

Albania will accept migrants that Italy will save at sea. One of the centers is in Shengjin, on the Adriatic Sea. The other center, where the migrants will wait until their case is processed, is located in Gjadër.

Sandër Marashi, director of the port in Shengjin, said that there will be no migrants on Monday because "construction is continuing" at the port.

Last week, the ANSA news agency reported that the opening of the centers will be delayed due to construction work currently being carried out by Italian companies.

"The engineers of the Italian army, working in Shengjin and Gjadër according to the agreement between Rome and Tirana, have not yet completed the construction of the reception centers", this Italian agency reported.

At the beginning of May, only a small number of prefabricated blocks were installed at the center in the port of Shengjin.

When completed, the center will be 4,000 square meters surrounded by four-meter-tall metal walls, local officials said.

After registration, the migrants will be sent to Gjadër, where there is a former military base, about 20 kilometers from the port. In this country, migrants will stay until their asylum applications are processed.

The two centers, to be financed and managed by Italy, can accommodate up to 3,000 migrants arriving from Italy by sea.

Construction, security and health care costs for asylum seekers will be covered by Italy. It is estimated that over five years, these expenses will reach from 650 million euros to 750 million euros.

In 2023, the number of people who reached Europe through Italy increased significantly, according to data from the Italian Ministry of the Interior.

Last year, 157,652 arrived on Italian soil, compared to 105,131 who arrived in 2022.

The International Organization for Migration said more than 3,000 undocumented migrants disappeared last year on the perilous journey from North Africa to Europe. REL