The installation of the Schengjin and Gjader centers, in the northwest of the Balkan country, is the result of a controversial agreement between Italy and Albania that outsources on Albanian territory the management of asylum applications and the possible repatriation of people rescued in the Mediterranean Sea .
Italy’s government has launched two migrant detention centers in Albania, following a controversial agreement with the Balkan country that outsources to Albanian territory the management of asylum applications and the possible repatriation of people rescued in the Mediterranean Sea and trying to get to Italy .
Migrants rescued by Italian authorities will be subject to health and identification checks upon arrival to then verify that they comply with the requirements: They come from safe, male and non-vulnerable countries, as reported by sources from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, which is responsible for the initiative.
The Schengjin and Gjader centersin northwestern Albania, have been operational since the week of October 7. The agreement between the two countries stipulates that “migrants they cannot leave the facilities and move freely in Albania“, as Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama explained about the agreement between both countries.
Surrounded by five-meter-high walls and guarded by police, these two immigration centers consist of barracks with a capacity of approximately 900 people each. Migrants will not be able to leave the facilities until their cases are resolved.
Last Friday, Albanian television showed images of the Gjader center which, in addition to accommodation with beds, has an operational medical room, an analysis laboratory, a room with instruments for radiography and ultrasound, and another for psychological and psychiatric visits.
According to estimates by the Italian opposition, the centers will cost “at least 800 million euros”.
The Italian initiative has been widely criticized by humanitarian organizations that rescue migrants and by non-governmental organizations such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
