Prime Minister Edi Rama has firmly stated that Albania will not enter into any asylum agreements with other countries, aside from the existing one with Italy.

Context

Last week, during an official visit to Rome, the British Prime Minister mentioned that he would “study” the agreement signed between Italy and Albania as part of the UK’s “pragmatic” approach to reducing irregular migration. However, in an interview with Euronews, Rama clarified that the agreement with Italy is a unique case due to Italy’s exclusive privileges in Albania, and that no other government should expect to achieve a similar arrangement.

What was said

Rama has repeatedly emphasized that the agreement with Italy was not made as a form of repayment for Italy’s unconditional support for Albania’s path to European integration. “We decided to do this based on a sense of responsibility as neighbors, as Europeans. Of course, it is better than simply fighting ideologically about this issue and doing nothing,” said Rama.

Agreement Details

Under the five-year agreement signed between Tirana and Rome last November, migrants intercepted at sea by Italian authorities will be transferred to reception centers near the Albanian port of Shëngjin, where their requests for international protection will be swiftly processed by Italian personnel. They will then be relocated to the asylum seekers’ center in Gjadër, which has a capacity of up to 3,000 people. According to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the camp was expected to open on August 1, but there have been administrative delays on the Italian side responsible for building the reception centers.

In an interview with the Italian channel La7, Prime Minister Rama explained that these delays are matters that do not involve the Albanian government. He stated, “Specifically, and everything else is up to the Italian government. Albania has no cost, no legal responsibility. Albania has simply provided its readiness to host what is an Italian operation on a territory that will be fully managed by Italy.”