Italy sends 49 more migrants to Albania for processing after earlier rejections

An Italian navy ship arrived in Albania on Tuesday taking 49 migrants intercepted in international waters for processing of their asylum applications at special Albanian centres (Vlasov Sulaj/AP)

An Italian navy ship arrived in Albania on Tuesday taking 49 migrants intercepted in international waters for processing of their asylum applications at special Albanian centres, the third such attempt following hurdles earlier raised by Italian courts.

Italy’s Interior Ministry did not specify the nationality of the migrants taken to the port of Shengjin, 40 miles (66km) north-west of the capital, Tirana, but Italian media said they were from Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Gambia.