Tajani to brief House on Albania migrant deal Nov 21

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 13 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will brief the House on Italy's memorandum of understanding on migrants with Albania next Tuesday, November 21, starting at 11 am, sources said Monday.
    Under the accord, Italy will set up at least two processing centres under Italian jurisdiction in the Balkan country able to process up to 36,000 migrants a year.
    It is understood that one of the facilities will be a detention centre for asylum seekers from so-called safe countries of origin, who under Italian law are subject to accelerated refugee status determination procedures in 'border' areas so that they can in theory be repatriated more easily in the event of a negative outcome to their asylum claim.
    It may be possible for migrants to be held for up to 18 months in Albania when the agreement comes into force.
    The centre-left opposition has slammed the deal as creating a new Guantanamo and breaching the Italian Constitution.
    Albania's Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama has said the deal is neither rightwing nor leftwing, but "just right".
    Tajani has said that, under the agreement "only Italian military ships" can disembark migrants and refugees in Albania, with the exception of "minors, pregnant women, and all those who present risks". (ANSA).