- Title: Albania makes progress on migrant camps for Italy ahead of Meloni visit
- Date: 4th June 2024
- Summary: SHENGJIN, ALBANIA (JUNE 4, 2024) (REUTERS) (MUTE) VARIOUS DRONE FOOTAGE OF MIGRANT RECEPTION CENTRE IN PORT TOWN OF SHENGJIN SHENGJIN, ALBANIA (JUNE 4, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LOCALS FISHING IN HARBOUR VARIOUS OF BOATS IN HARBOUR VARIOUS OF PEOPLE BUYING FROM STREET VENDORS VARIOUS OF BOATS IN HARBOUR (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) STREET VENDOR, FATMIR JAKAJ, SAYING: "We were
- Embargoed: 18th June 2024 11:55
- Keywords: Albania Albanian government Giorgia Meloni Italian Prime Minister Italy migration migration deal refugees
- Location: SHENGJIN AND GJADER, ALBANIA / ROME, ITALY
- City: SHENGJIN AND GJADER, ALBANIA / ROME, ITALY
- Country: Albania
- Topics: Europe,Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001791904062024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Construction workers in Albania are working hard to transform a former military air base into an Italian-run migrant centre ahead of a progress-check by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this week.
Meloni is expected to visit the former air field in Gjader on Wednesday (June 5) - days before elections to the European Parliament - as bulldozers are levelling the soil to accommodate new white containers arriving from Italy.
Italy agreed a deal with Albania to set up the centre in Gjader and another in the sea side town of Shengjin 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) away to host migrants rescued at sea by Italian boats while their asylum applications are processed.
"Someone has honored us before by accepting us as refugees and we now have to do the same," said Gjok Prenga, a pensioner from Gjader, where white containers can be seen from his house. "I see no problem from migrants arriving here."
It remains unclear when the centres will be operational. An initial deadline to open them in the spring has already passed.
The deal has drawn criticism from human rights activists who say it will be harder for Italian courts to promptly process asylum requests or appeals from people hosted in another country, and lengthy procedures could put an unjustified burden on migrants.
(Production: Fatos Bytyci, Florion Goga, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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