Amnesty: Italy's Albania migrant hubs undermine human rights

Amnesty International has condemned Italy's migrant detention centres in Albania, saying the conditions undermine human rights and should serve as a warning for the European Union's plans to externalise border management, according to Politico Europe.

The NGO's report, published Thursday, focuses on the two facilities where Italy has been sending migrants intercepted at sea. The arrangement, a flagship policy of the Italian government, has been touted as a model for the EU, which is exploring similar 'return hubs' in third countries.

Amnesty's findings are a sharp rebuke to that narrative. The organisation said the centres' conditions fall short of international standards and that the policy as a whole erodes the right to asylum.

The Italian-Albanian agreement, signed in late 2023, established two centres in Albania — one for screening and one for detention — to process migrants rescued in Italian waters. The scheme was designed to deter irregular crossings and speed up returns, but it has faced legal and logistical hurdles since its inception.

For Sicily, the policy has a direct bearing. The migrants sent to Albania are largely those rescued on the central Mediterranean route, which funnels through Sicilian waters. The island's ports, particularly Lampedusa, have long been the first point of arrival for thousands of people each year.

Amnesty's report, as reported by Politico Europe, argues that the hubs create a 'legal black hole' where detainees have limited access to lawyers and judicial oversight. The NGO said the situation should be a 'wake-up call' for EU member states considering similar arrangements.

The European Commission has been studying the Italian model as it drafts proposals for a common EU return policy. Amnesty's intervention is likely to complicate those discussions, adding human rights concerns to an already contentious debate.

The Italian government has defended the Albania centres as a necessary measure to manage migration, but critics argue they outsource responsibility and violate the spirit of international law. The legal challenges have already forced the temporary release of some detainees, casting doubt on the scheme's viability.

From a Sicilian perspective, the policy shifts the island's role in Europe's migration politics. For decades, Sicily has borne the burden of arrivals; now, the processing is being moved further away, a change that could alter the dynamics of reception and solidarity on the island.