Sky News in the migrant camps in Shengjin: 15 EU countries demand an account for the project, Italy refuses

The well-known British media Sky News has entered the immigrant camps in Shengjin and Gjadër that are being built to host the immigrants who will be rescued by the Italian ships.

In the article, it is described how far the works have reached so far for their establishment and how it will work. 

Italy 's controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Albania is expected to start in a few weeks, after many delays and strong criticism.

The agreement was first announced by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama last November in Rome.

The agreement allows up to 36,000 migrants - rescued by Italian ships, including coast guards or border police - to be sent to Albania each year.

Two Italian-run immigrant centers are being built in Shengjin and Gjadër, about 45 miles north of the Albanian capital, Tirana.

The first one in the port of Shengjin contains four large two-story buildings with an area of ​​6,000 square meters.

Italian state police manager Evandro Clementucci oversees the center and showed us around the control room which monitors 40 CCTV cameras on the five-metre-high metal fence.

Mr Clementucci explained that only men rescued in international waters would be sent here. Those rescued by ships run by charities or groups of migrants, who enter directly on Italian soil, or are found in Italian waters, will be excluded from the scheme.

The plan applies to people from countries considered "safe" by the Italian government such as Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco and Bangladesh.

It means, in case of a rejected asylum request, they can be repatriated due to Italy's agreements with those countries. 

Shengjini is the initial reception center for immigrants. It is made up of around 70 people, including Italian police officers and private contractors who manage both centres.

Migrants who arrive here receive a health check, are given food, water and clothing and have access to independent legal advice.

"I want to be clear: I don't see them as criminals. We will treat them as our guests, we want them to be safe," Mr. Clementucci told us.

We also saw waiting areas, medical facilities, showers and parking for buses heading to Gjadër - a former military base and the next step for migrants on their journey.

During the 25-minute journey there, Italy's ambassador to Albania, Fabrizio Bucci, rejected any comparison to the UK's failed asylum scheme in Rwanda.

"The two plans are not comparable and the alleged link between them is inappropriate. Within our centers in Albania there is Italian jurisdiction: that is, Italian laws and Italian rules. We have also studied the Albanian migration legislation and know that it complies with the European legislation "- said Mr. Bucci.

Construction in downtown Gjader appears to be behind schedule - building materials, windows and doors fill the site - but officials are confident it will be ready "within a few weeks".

The opening has already been postponed three times. High temperatures were among the reasons for the delays.  

The capacity for the Shengjin and Gjader centers is supposed to be 3,000 people per month, but we understand that initially it will be more likely around 1,000 people.

Successful asylum seekers will be sent to Italy by ferry ," the article states. 

The British media writes that 15 of the 27 member countries of the European Union have asked Italy for the details of the scheme for the construction of the centers.

According to the undersecretary of state of the Italian presidency and delegate of Italian intelligence, Alfredo Mantovano, this is an "innovative model for managing illegal migration flows and is gaining wide consensus in Europe".

Our research suggests that 15 of the 27 European Union countries have asked Italy to share details of their scheme.

Italian officials have declined to say how much the project will cost, but we understand the five-year deal will cost almost €1 billion.

A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed to Sky News that it is closely monitoring the scheme.

"It is possible for member states to cooperate with countries outside the EU in managing migration," European officials told us.

"But this must reflect all applicable safeguards and provisions. It is important that this is done in full respect of EU and international law." ", writes Sky News.

Sky News has also spoken to PD, Italy's centre-left and main opposition party, about the plan. Pierfrancesco Majorino, head of migration policy, described it as "shameful".

He said: "It's a botched operation that violates human rights. It's a damaging and expensive show."

Meanwhile, Riccardo Magi, from the pro-European and liberal "More Europe" party, has called the project the "Italian Guantanamo" because it "does not respect human rights and international laws."