Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has begun a war from within the EU after a European Court struck down her trademark scheme to tackle immigration. Meloni agreed a deal with Albania two years ago to move migrants heading to Italy to Italian immigration centres in Albania. She aimed to speed up asylum processing for claims that were unlikely to succeed if they came from “safe” countries.
Since coming into action last year, Italy has sent three groups of migrants to the centres in Albania between October and January. However, after difficulty defining what “safe” is, Italian courts blocked her flagship plans over fears of how her Government found some countries like Bangladesh and Egypt to be safe.
When raised to the European Court of Justice, they decided that EU member states can decide which origin countries are “safe” to deport migrants back to, but most publicly explain their reasoning.
In the rulings so far, Italian courts have often sided with migrants, agreeing that it was not sufficient reason to call their country of origin safe, and argued they should be processed in Italy and not the “jail-like” centres in Albania.
Adding that Rome’s choice must be subject to judicial review, should be clear and come from a set of criteria, and cannot be classed as safe if human rights are only there for part of the population.
In the judgment on Friday, the European court said: “EU law does not preclude a member state from designating a third country as a safe country of origin … provided that that designation can be subject to effective judicial review.”
The issue began in 2024 when two Bangladeshi nationals were rescued in the Mediterranean in Italian territory, but were taken to Albania for Italian processing, which was quickly rejected because Bangladesh was deemed safe.
The pair appealed the decision, wanting a justification for the decision to call Bangladesh safe while also saying they had no opportunity to challenge their designation.
But since the decision, Meloni has struck back at the courts, claiming they have gone too far and have begun dictating immigration policy, which should not be decided by judges.
In a statement, her office told the Financial Times: “The court’s decision weakens policies to combat mass illegal immigration and defend national borders.”
It said: “This is a ruling that should concern everyone… because it further reduces the already limited scope of Government and parliamentary autonomy.”
But it’s not just Meloni the court has rattled up, her deputy premier and far-right League leader Matteo Salvini branded the ruling as “scandalous”, believing that the judges at the top of the EU have “erased” Italy’s sovereignty.
Speaking to a group of reporters, Salvini added: “It is yet another demonstration of a Europe that doesn’t work.”
But her political opposition has hailed this as a win for them, believing the Albania plan was just a political stunt.
Matteo Orfini, from the opposition Democratic Party, wrote: “The Meloni government was wrong; the Albania model has failed: it was based on regulatory abuse.
“The choice has led to a violation of rights and the waste of nearly €1bn of public funds. Will someone apologise? Will someone resign?”
Despite the decision, Meloni still wants to continue her plans and has vowed to get the centre up and running.