When Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni unveiled her flagship initiative to establish migrant detention centres in Albania, the plan was heralded as a bold solution to Europe`s ongoing migration crisis. However, a year and €67.5 million later, the project remains entangled in legal and operational roadblocks, with abandoned buildings and idle police officers as its only visible outcomes.
A Project on Hold
Initially conceived as a means to intercept, detain, and process asylum-seekers offshore, the two centres – one in the coastal town of Shëngjin and another in the inland village of Gjadër – were supposed to streamline Italy`s migration procedures. However, Italian courts have repeatedly ruled against the legality of transferring asylum-seekers to a third country, leading to the swift return of the first group of 16 migrants who arrived in October 2023.
With the judicial system effectively halting operations, the facilities have become vacant spaces inhabited only by Italian police officers, who reportedly spend their days lounging at luxury hotels, sunbathing, and adopting stray dogs to pass the time. “It looked like a ghost town,“ said Volt Europa co-President Francesca Romana D`Antuono after visiting the Gjadër centre in November. “The police are there, but they have nothing to do.”
Financial and Political Costs
The Italian government has already spent €65 million on the construction of the facilities and another €2.5 million on maintaining the Italian personnel stationed there in 2024. Over the next five years, the total cost is projected to reach €680 million, with opposition politicians warning the final price tag may surpass €1 billion.
Despite these expenditures, local media reports suggest that the infrastructure is already deteriorating, which leaking roofs and flooding in key buildings. “In the hospital, water was dripping from the walls,“ noted European Parliament Member Anna Strolenberg. “It`s difficult to imagine how the facility will hold up if it ever becomes operational.“
Meanwhile, the Italian police officers deployed to Albania are reportedly earning up to €6,000 per month, significantly higher that their average salary in Italy, leading to public outcry over the misallocation of funds.
Local Reactions and Geopolitical Implications
In Shëngjin, locals remain divided on the benefits of the project. Some agree it could bring economic opportunities, while others view it as an unnecessary imposition. ``What could we possibly gain from it?“ asked one resident. “The Italians sit and eat at the hotel while we see no benefit.“
Critics also point to the political motivations behind the project. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has positioned himself as a close ally of Meloni, has been accused of agreeing to the deal to srengthen diplomatic ties with Italy rather than serving Albania`s national interests. Opposition figures claim that the plan was executed without parliamentary consultation, reinforcing concerns over democratic transparency in Albania.
A Model for the Future?
Despite its apparent failure, Meloni`s initiative has been praised by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a potential blueprint for future migration policies. However, legal experts caution that outsourcing asylum processing to non-EU countries could se a dangerous precedent, further complicating Europe`s already contentious migration debates.
The final fate of the project now rests in the hands of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which is set to rule on the scheme`s legality later this year. Until then, Albania`s Italian-built migrant detention centres remain costly, controversial, and empty – a stark reminder of the challenges facing European migration policy today.
Written by our correspondent A.T.
