The Italian Parliament approved the migration agreement with Albania
Italy's parliament has approved the government's controversial immigration deal with Albania to cope with the influx of migrants.
According to the German newspaper "Die Welt", the Italian House of Representatives approved on Wednesday the agreement between the government of this country and Albania for the accommodation of immigrants while their requests for asylum will be examined. The proposal passed by 155 votes to 115 with two abstentions and now goes to the Senate, where Prime Minister Georgia Meloni's right-wing government has a majority. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama announced the initiative last November. Albania will then house up to 36,000 migrants in two centers for a year, while Italy processes their asylum applications through a fast-track process. In December, the Constitutional Court of Albania suspended the agreement pending a constitutional review. Italy has long sought help from other EU countries to accommodate the tens of thousands of migrants who arrive each year. Albania hopes to join the European Union and Italy has strongly supported its bid. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the agreement as an important initiative to tackle migration. However, the Italian opposition described the deal as a costly publicity exercise ahead of this year's European elections and a shameful attempt to turn Albania into Italy's Guantanamo. According to this agreement, two reception centers will be built in Albania with Italian funding. Around 3,000 migrants rescued by the Italian coast guard in the Mediterranean have been temporarily sheltered while they await a decision on their asylum case. In Albania, the opposition parties said that this agreement violates international standards for the rights of asylum seekers and is "dangerous" for the security of the country. The Constitutional Court of Albania is reviewing the agreement and wants to make a decision by March 6.
