Advocacy platform Tavolo Asilo e Immigrazione reported on 24 February that Italy has stepped up transfers of irregular migrants from domestic reception centres to the purpose-built facility in Gjader, Albania. During inspection visits on 23–24 February, delegates counted around 90 detainees – the highest number since the bilateral protocol entered into force in late 2024. Two recent charter flights each moved roughly 35 people, dwarfing the previous average of ten per transfer. NGOs argue the escalation seeks to “normalise” extra-territorial detention even though the protocol’s legality is being challenged before the EU Court of Justice. Government sources counter that the arrangement eases pressure on Italy’s over-crowded CPR network and preserves humanitarian standards. The spike has several global-mobility implications. First, maritime rescue NGOs and shipping insurers must factor in longer disembarkation chains and potential jurisdictional disputes. Second, corporate relocation managers dealing with accompanied asylum seekers – for example, Ukrainian tech staff – need clarity on whether certain humanitarian visa pathways might now involve remote processing. Legal experts say the Gjader model could preview wider EU outsourcing schemes, noting Denmark’s Rwanda project and the UK-Albania returns deal. If upheld in court, companies employing migrant labour may see faster removal of workers who lose status, intensifying the need for rigorous ongoing right-to-work checks.
Source: ANSA
