Albania migrant agreement 'innovative' says Piantedosi

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 8 - The "innovative" migrant agreement the Italian government signed with Tirana this week is based on the idea of detaining asylum seekers from so-called safe countries of origin for the duration of the asylum procedure in order to facilitate their repatriation in the event of a negative outcome, in line with provisions introduced in a recent law on migration, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Wednesday.
    "The hypothesis is to create a detention facility for asylum seekers from safe countries" and it is "the result of cooperation with a friendly and brotherly country, as the Albanian premier Rama has said himself," said Piantedosi.
    "I understand that innovative things often create discussion, but you will see that everything will be arranged according to a logic that we announced some time ago and on which we have been working. It is part of the overall plan," added the minister referring to the Cutro migrant law approved by parliament in May, which introduced the possibility for asylum seekers from so-called safe countries of origin to be detailed in border areas for the duration of an accelerated asylum procedure and with the authorisation of a judge.
    One such facility is already operating in Pozzallo.
    Piantedosi also confirmed that jurisdiction for the centres in Albania would be Italian bit without giving details of how this would be enforced.
    "This will be seen in the implementation of the agreement that was signed in the first place," he said.
    Italy currently considers 16 countries or origin to be safe: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Erzegovina, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Nigeria, Senegal, Serbia and Tunisia. (ANSA).