Opposition leader Berisha vows to end Albania-Italy migrant agreement if elected
Sali Berisha has announced that if the opposition wins the upcoming elections, Albania will not renew its agreement with Italy on migrant management. Speaking in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Berisha stated that while his party opposed the deal on humanitarian grounds, they will honor the existing five-year contract, which has already been upheld by Albania’s Constitutional Court. However, he made it clear that once the agreement expires, it will not be extended.
Why is this important: The agreement between Albania and Italy allows Italy to establish migrant processing centers in Albania, a deal that has been hailed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a model for European migration management. The decision to cancel the renewal of this agreement could alter Albania’s diplomatic relations with Italy and shift the country’s role in European migration policies.
Context: Berisha confirmed that a Democratic Party-led government would respect the contract while it remains in force. However, he firmly ruled out any renewal:
“We will not change anything in this contract, we will respect it. We opposed the migrant centers in Albania for humanitarian reasons and appealed against them. The Constitutional Court ruled that they are in accordance with the law, so if we come to power, we will not alter a single comma and will uphold the agreement. Meloni even managed to have them monitored by the UN—so be it. However, one thing is certain: after five years, the contract with Italy will not be renewed.”
Despite this stance, Berisha emphasized Albania’s close ties with Italy, noting long-standing political alliances with Forza Italia, Fratelli d’Italia, and Lega, while downplaying the issue as a major campaign topic: “The migrant centers in Shëngjin and Gjadër are not an electoral debate for us.”
What else: Berisha’s position raises questions about the future of Albania-Italy cooperation on migration and security. Italy has strongly defended the agreement, seeing it as a way to ease migration pressures, and any future Albanian government’s refusal to renew it could lead to diplomatic tensions.
The Italian government has argued that outsourcing migrant processing to Albania is an effective solution, and Meloni has positioned the deal as a blueprint for broader European migration policies.
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