Rome (EFE).- The Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, defended on Thursday her migrant detention centers in Albania and said they will be operational with the new European Union (EU) pact.
“Not everyone has understood this strategy. Many have tried to slow it down or block it; however, we are determined to move forward,” Meloni stated at a press conference with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama after a bilateral summit in Rome.
In 2024, the Italian government opened centers in Albania from which it intended to repatriate migrants without asylum rights, rescued in the Mediterranean. However, after several attempts, Italian and European courts prevented the project.
The controversial centers remain unused amid opposition criticism of waste, even though Meloni considers that the situation will change with the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum, expected to take effect in 2026.
“When this pact is applied, the centers will work, although we will have lost two years to return to square one. But the responsibility will not be mine,” she said, calling the centers a “revolutionary” and “innovative” solution.
Standing beside Meloni, Rama, a social democrat and her “friend,” assured that he would again yield Albanian soil to help Italy manage the flow of migrants: “I would do it a hundred times over. Never with other countries, but with Italy, yes, because we feel like an integral part of this country,” he said in perfect Italian.
In exchange, Meloni supported Tirana’s intention to continue the EU accession process, which should conclude the technical negotiations by the end of 2027, followed by a phase of political dialogue.
The politician considered that if these deadlines were confirmed, it would be a source of pride to advance political negotiations for Albania’s accession to the EU during the first half of 2028, when Italy holds the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency.
“It would be the final flourish. In 2028, Giorgia will be both prime minister and European president, meaning we will be in good hands,” Rama said, prompting laughter from the audience, as Meloni’s term ends in 2027 unless she runs for reelection.
Rama again defended the close historical ties between Italy and Albania, saying, “We are the same country,” and promising that if Albania enters the EU, he would be satisfied with being represented by the commissioner assigned to Italy.
This summit, the first between the two governments, was considered “historic” by both leaders for the quantity and quality of the 16 agreements signed across energy, security, culture, defense, and civil protection.
The event served as a prelude to the business forum they will organize in the first half of 2026, intended to further strengthen bilateral relations. Italy is Albania’s largest trading partner, with approximately 3,000 companies operating in its borders. EFE
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