Serious concerns have been raised regarding the proper functioning of the Gjadër
Camp in Shëngjin, established following the agreement signed between Italy and Albania for hosting irregular migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea. Recently, the camp has also become a shelter for irregular and problematic migrants apprehended in Italy.
Italian Democratic Party MP, Rachele Scarpa, in an interview with Euronews Albania, shared alarming figures regarding suicide attempts and reported severe incidents that have occurred within the camp. She described the center as potentially life-threatening for the individuals accommodated there. Scarpa stated that within a short period, 35 suicide and self-harm attempts have been recorded. Additionally, 16 migrants brought from Italy have been sent back, deemed to be at risk and unfit to remain at the Gjadër center. “Sixteen individuals have already been returned to Italy as they were considered to be at risk and unsuitable to stay at the Gjadër center,” she said.
A few weeks ago, the camp made headlines when sheltered migrants vandalized the premises, leading to total chaos. During the incident, three migrants injured themselves with sharp objects. Italian media outlet La Stampa raised the alarm with an article published yesterday, reporting that 16 migrants had escaped from the Gjadër camp, and their whereabouts remain unknown. According to La Stampa, only 25 of the 41 migrants who recently arrived by ship remain at the camp in Gjadër, Lezhë.
However, in a live report on Top Channel’s “Shqipëria Live”, journalist Brixhilda Deda stated, citing internal camp sources, that the 16 migrants were repatriated to Italy. They were returned gradually in small groups on different days, reportedly
gaining permission to remain in Italy.
“Sources from inside the camp confirmed that the 16 migrants have been repatriated to Italy. They didn’t leave all at once but were returned gradually in small groups. The situation inside the camp is currently calm, and security has been reinforced by Italian authorities following the arrival of the migrants. This group included individuals with criminal records from Italy,” said the journalist.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party candidate for MP in Lezhë, Gjin Gjoni, reacted via a Facebook post, condemning the central and local government for discriminating against businesses in the region. According to the opposition candidate, “the Gjadër camp is the only foreign investment brought by Edi Rama to Lezhë in 12 years.”
“After May 11, the government will no longer stand beside businesses just to cut ribbons but will be there to build roads, sewage systems, and modern infrastructure,” Gjoni wrote. “After May 11, every entrepreneur returning from emigration to open a business in Lezhë will be exempt from taxes for five consecutive years.”
Post Excerpt:
“The Gjadër camp is the only foreign investment brought by Edi Rama to Lezhë in 12 years. Entrepreneurs in Shëngjin and Lezhë are heroes who invested their sweat and effort for decades, creating prosperity for thousands of families in an area where the state only remembered to build infrastructure after hotels, bars, restaurants, and houses were already constructed.”
“These entrepreneurs are among the most discriminated against in the country by Edi Rama’s government, which has failed to build the essential Lezhë- Shëngjin road over 12 years, nor the Milot-Balldren route, which would have unlocked the economic potential of Lezhë and Shkodër, giving agriculture and livestock a much-needed boost.”
“Instead of building roads, the government has installed toll booths — one in Kukës for our brothers from Kosovo coming to Shëngjin, another in Kashar for those from Tirana, and soon another in Balldren for travelers from Shkodër.”
“A normal country’s prime minister inaugurates highways, not towers and toll booths — private investments that he merely rubber-stamped, as he did with the incinerators scandal.”
“In Lezhë, the only foreign investment was the Gjadër camp — a personal deal by Edi Rama with a negative impact on a region whose priorities should be tourism and agriculture.”
According to La Stampa, the absence of the 16 migrants was noticed by Italian MEP Cecilia Strada and MP Rachele Scarpa during a recent visit to the Gjadër migrant center. They reported that one individual was transferred to Albania on the afternoon of April 11 and returned to Italy the next morning without ever entering the CPR center. For the other 15 missing individuals, it is believed that:
- 6 were returned due to lack of legal confirmation for detention;
- 5 were repatriated due to self-harm incidents or health conditions deemed unsuitable for living in closed facilities;
- 4 were sent back to their countries of origin.
Written by our correspondent A.T.
