Italy approves plan to expand use of Albanian processing centres for migrants

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni (Phil Noble/PA)

Italy’s government approved a decree that expands the use of Albanian fast-track asylum processing centres to include repatriation hubs, in line with a recent EU proposal.

Under the new decree, the two centres in Albania, originally aimed at processing non-vulnerable migrants rescued in international waters, will now also house migrants who arrived in Italy, had their asylum request rejected and received a deportation order.