Authors: Alessia Peretti and Nicoletta Ionta ; Source: Euractiv; Photo: EPA-EFE/Angelo Carconi

February 3, 2025 – The judges’ decisions are fuelling discontent within the government, which now faces an investigation into its recent repatriation of ICC-indicted Libyan warlord Almasri.

The Italy-Albania migration deal has hit yet another wall after a Rome court ordered that migrants be sent back – again.

On Monday, the Italian Navy rescued 49 migrants at sea and transferred them to the Albanian port of Shengjin under the Italy-Albania migrant protocol.

On Friday evening, the Rome Court of Appeal refused to validate their detention, meaning that all 43 remaining migrants were sent back to Italy on Saturday. Six had already been sent back to Italy after arriving in Albania because they were minors or in poor health.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UN-affiliated agency responsible for pre-screening migrants based on medical assessments, was conspicuously absent this time, according to Democratic Party lawmakers who travelled to Albania for the arrival.

The court followed a lower court ruling in October, which referred the case to the EU Court of Justice for a final decision, expected on 25 February.

Expected blow at EU level

Italian judges have ruled that sending migrants to Albania contravenes an EU court ruling that member states must assess the safety of a country as a whole.

Friday’s ruling comes amid a series of blows to the Italy-Albania deal, which has faced repeated roadblocks since day one – just as it did in October and November when two other groups of asylum seekers were sent back to Italy.

After the judicial setbacks, the government pushed for another reversal on 11 January.

Not a single migrant transferred to Albania since the deal was implemented has had their detention confirmed – they have all been sent back to Italy.

The estimated five-year cost of construction, staff management, travel, allowances, police accommodation and recruitment of new judges is €653.5 million.