She seeks to send male, healthy immigrants rescued from small boats to detention centers overseas.

On Monday, the Rome Tribunal thwarted for the second time the strategy of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s to repatriate certain immigrants from detention centers in Albania.

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The judges urgently referred the case of these centers built in Albania to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and ordered the immediate suspension of the detention of seven immigrants held in Gjiader, who must be returned to Italy.

“Another political ruling, not against the government but against Italians and their safety. The government and Parliament have the right to react to protect citizens, and they will,” said far-right leader Matteo Salvini, who serves as deputy prime minister in Meloni’s administration.

This is the second time Italian courts have halted the so-called “Operation Albania,” with which Meloni aims to handle, from this Balkan country, the potential repatriation of specific immigrants rescued in central Mediterranean waters.

Specifically, one center in the port of Shengjin is designed to fast-track a process to determine if immigrants are eligible for asylum, while the other in Gjiader is designated to house those rejected for eventual repatriation.

The plan is to send specific male, healthy immigrants rescued from small boats to these centers in Albania, with the consent of the government of Edi Rama. The facilities opened on October 14 with the arrival of a first group of 16 Bangladeshi and Egyptian immigrants intercepted in the Mediterranean, but Meloni’s plans were quickly dampened.

Four of them were soon returned to Italy—after a two-day journey to Albania—as they were minors or “vulnerable,” and, two days later, the rest faced the same outcome due to a ruling by the Rome Tribunal. Citing a recent ECJ ruling, the Rome judges noted that for a country to be considered “safe,” it must be so throughout its territory; therefore, neither Egypt nor Bangladesh qualifies, which prevented the potential repatriation of that group.

In response, Meloni issued a decree reinforcing the list of safe countries, keeping both Egypt and Bangladesh on it to facilitate the expulsion of numerous immigrants from these countries arriving via the Mediterranean.

However, in today’s ruling, the Rome judges did not openly ban the detentions—as they did in the previous decision—but instead put the process “on hold” and referred it to Europe. They stated that this approach was chosen as “a more suitable tool to clarify several points of questionable compatibility” of this decree with European legal supremacy. Additionally, they noted that “the criteria for designating a safe country are established by European Union law.”

A Controversial Operation

Meloni’s strategy initially sparked significant interest in European countries, but it has also faced heavy criticism, particularly due to its challenging feasibility and enormous cost. All immigrants who have gone through Albania thus far—just 24 individuals in two separate operations—were rescued near the island of Lampedusa and had to travel for over two days to Albania aboard a Navy vessel.

This approach has also led to a loud clash between the Executive and the Judiciary, as government representatives, especially Salvini, have accused the judges of playing politics to prevent detentions in the Albanian centers.

Silvia Albano, judge of the Rome Tribunal’s immigration section, reported “intimidation and pressure.” Over the weekend, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio urged the judiciary to “apply the laws” without involving the “political factor” and encouraged his political allies to “tone down and avoid criticizing the rulings.”

Another controversy was sparked by last week’s meeting between Meloni and Fabio Pinelli, the deputy president of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, which has been denounced as interference.

teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE

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