The European Court of Justice said
Tuesday a hearing was "indicatively" set for February in the
issue of countries of safe origin raised by recent Italian
courts' nixing of the detention of the first small batches of
migrants sent to processing centres in Albania in Italy's
innovative but controversial new deterrence policy.
Twelve preliminary references on the subject of the designation
of countries of safe origin are currently pending before the EU
Court of Justice, presented by various Italian courts, the ECJ
said.
No case has been assigned the special urgent procedure.
Ten referrals have been suspended pending the Court's ruling on
two cases that have been joined and will be dealt with under an
accelerated procedure.
The hearing for the discussion of the parties is scheduled for
approximately February 2025, the Court in Luxembourg said.
Premier Giorgia Melonis' flagship migrant policy, which critics
say will cover just 2% of arrivals and will be exorbitantly
expensive but which has brought praise and interest from
European Commissions President Ursual von der Leyen and British
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among others, has so far been
stymied by the courts.
Elon Musk, the world's richest man and President-elect Donald
Trump new efficiency czar, spurred claims of meddling by saying
"these judges must go".
Musk, a personal friend of Meloni's, said he was entitled to
voice his opinion and was defended by former hardline
anti-migrant interior minister Matteo Salvini, the current
deputy premier and transport minister, who is facing six years
in jail for 'kidnapping' migrants five years ago.
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