The agreement signed by Rome and
Tirana earlier this week for Italy to set up centres to manage
migrants in Albania is a "humanitarian solution" that is fully
compliant with European Union regulations and international law,
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday.
The agreement with Albania "respects all EU rules and
international law," Tajani told reporters after the Gaza aid
conference in Paris.
"It is not Guantanamo as some have claimed", but rather a
"humanitarian" solution", he added, insisting that "the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, and Health"
have all been involved.
Tajani 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".
"European Union rules must be respected," he insisted,
describing the deal as an agreement "between countries that
share a common position in the Mediterranean".
"It is not a dangerous solution. I believe, as a former member
of the European institutions, that there are no risks at the
legal level. There may be political disagreement but at the
legal level everything has been done in accordance with
Community rules," he concluded.
On Thursday the European Commission said it is "studying" the
memorandum of understanding signed by Rome and Tirana on Monday,
under which Albania will receive up to 36,000 migrants and
refugees a year for processing in centres under Italian
jurisdiction.
It is understood that one of the facilities will be a detention
centre for asylum seekers from so-called safe countries f
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.
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