Italian opposition leader criticizes Italy-Albania migrant camp agreement

Elly Schlein, leader of Italy’s Democratic Party, made a surprise visit to the migrant center in Gjadër, Albania. The facility, built to accommodate third-country migrants intercepted off Italy’s coasts before their return, has become a flashpoint for political debate. 

Why is this important: The Shëngjin center has become a key point of debate in Italian politics, reflecting broader divisions over migration. Attitudes toward migration are one of the defining issues separating the right-wing governing coalition from the left and center-left opposition. Critics argue that the agreement with Albania represents a waste of resources and fails to address the root causes of migration, while the government defends it as a necessary step to manage migrant flows.

What did she say: “Just finished visiting the center that the Italian government wanted to build by investing €800 million,” Schlein wrote on social media. She emphasized that the center remains empty and claimed the Italy-Albania agreement violates fundamental human rights and European laws.

“This empty center is staffed by highly professional law enforcement officers tasked with overseeing its security, but it will remain vacant,” Schlein stated.

Context: The opposition in Italy, including Schlein, has criticized Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government for what they see as a wasteful and ideologically driven investment. Schlein argues that the deal with Albania is a misuse of Italian resources and a violation of legal norms.

Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, also a member of the opposition, recently proposed repurposing the Gjadër migrant center as a prison to house the roughly 2,000 Albanian nationals currently incarcerated in Italy. “This center will never function as a migrant facility, but the money has already been spent. Let’s transform it into a prison for Albanian convicts to reduce costs and reallocate Italian police resources to our streets,” Renzi suggested.

Background: The Gjadër center was established under an agreement between the Meloni and Rama governments to accommodate migrants intercepted at sea. However, the first two groups of migrants transported by Guardia di Finanza were sent back to Italy after Italian court rulings that have been condemned by the Meloni government as the acts of a politicized justice system.