Albania signs deal to hold migrants for Italy, worrying activists, but the EU sees a future template

Albania has agreed to host two migrant processing centres on its territory that will be fully run by Italy, under a deal that worries many human rights activists. The European Union, however, sees the agreement as a possible future template.

Italy has long complained about not getting enough help from its EU partners in dealing with migrants arriving on its shores from northern Africa. Italy’s right-wing Premier Giorgia Meloni is keen to show she is taking action as arrivals spiked 55 per cent this year, to nearly 160,000 – though still well below the levels reached during the 2015 crisis.

In January Italy’s lower chamber of parliament approved the novel deal with non-EU member Albania, followed a month later by the Senate.

Also in January, Albania’s Constitutional Court rejected a legal challenge that could have blocked the deal. Albania’s parliament approved the deal with 77 votes to zero on Thursday, while 63 lawmakers were marked not present as the opposition refused to participate. The president will also issue a decree as the final step of approval.

Here is a look at what all this means:

What is known about the deal?

Under a five-year agreement announced in November, Albania will shelter up to 36,000 migrants a year as Rome fast-tracks their asylum requests.