‘Italy’s plan to force rescued people to Albania unlawful’

Italian government plots to break EU and international law, Sea Watch International has alleged.

Last week, Sea Watch International said, Italy’s prime minister, @GiorgiaMeloni Meloni, shook hands with Edi Rama, the prime minister of #Albania, agreeing to create camps designed to detain up to 3,000 asylum seekers on Albanian territory.

If implemented, it said , rescued persons in the Med. will be forcibly brought to Albania without ever setting foot on 🇮🇹 soil and will be actively denied from exercising their rights. “Italy’s plan to force rescued people to Albania is an unlawful and ultra-right wing populist agenda,” Sea Watch International said.

It added that the European Commission has already clarified that European asylum law can only be applied within member state territories, “rendering the country’s plan legally untenable. However, seeking to externalize asylum processes is not Italy’s plan alone.

“Giorgia Meloni joins a growing list of politicians & EU countries (amongst others UK, Austria, & Germany) seeking to process asylum applications in so-called third or transit countries.”

Sea Watch International noted that externalizing asylum applications to so-called third countries risks (re)vitalizing human trafficking networks and could enable the Albanian government to use migration as an improper bargaining chip against EU states, similar to what occurred with Turkey, Tunisia, and Libya.

“We can and will not bow to these plans without severe resistance. In solidarity with all people fleeing to Europe,”Sea Watch International vowed.