(3 Minutes Read)
Under the new decree which is effective immediately the government shortened the list of countries considered “safe” by law, meaning that Rome can repatriate migrants who didn’t win asylum to those countries using a fast-track procedure. The number of safe countries has now been reduced to 19 from the previous 22, excluding Cameroon, Colombia, and Nigeria.
Italy’s far-right government approved a new decree to overcome judicial hurdles that could derail a controversial migration deal with Albania.
Under the new decree which is effective immediately the government shortened the list of countries considered “safe” by law, meaning that Rome can repatriate migrants who didn’t win asylum to those countries using a fast-track procedure. The number of safe countries has now been reduced to 19 from the previous 22, excluding Cameroon, Colombia, and Nigeria.
The move follows a ruling by Rome judges, who on Friday rejected the detention of the first 12 migrants sent to a newly-opened reception center in Albania, arguing that their countries of origin Bangladesh and Egypt were not safe enough for them to be sent back. Under the ruling, all the 12 migrants were brought back to Italy, where they would be able to re-apply for asylum.
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Rome judges motivated their decision citing a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice, which indicated that a country can be deemed safe for migrants’ repatriation only if its entire territory can be considered safe.
Human rights groups and NGOs active in the Mediterranean have slammed the Italy-Albania agreement as a dangerous precedent in conflict with international laws.
