Europe's Controversial Asylum Divergence: Migrants to Albania

A new EU program redirects migrants to Albania for processing, part of Italy's strategy to manage asylum seekers. This initiative, criticized for limiting asylum rights, sees Italy building reception centres in Albania, sparking protests and debates on European migration policy amidst rising tensions.

A ship carrying the first group of migrants processed in Albania under an agreement with Italy arrived Wednesday in Shengjin. This initiative marks the first EU attempt to redirect asylum seekers abroad, a controversial move aiming to curb irregular arrivals to Italy.

The Italian navy vessel, Libra, docked at the port to transport sixteen migrants to a recently erected processing centre, adorned with Italian and EU flags. The rising migration crisis has led countries like Germany, Poland, and the UK to adopt harsher asylum policies.

Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, asserts that the Albanian scheme sets a benchmark for Europe. However, protests erupted, reflecting discontent with this new approach. Human rights activists, like Arilda Lleshi, criticize it as undermining Europe's democratic values.

(With inputs from agencies.)