ALBANIA, OCT 16 – An Italian navy ship docked today at the port of Shengjin, Albania to bring the first group of 16 migrants intercepted in international waters.
The naval ship Libra left the port of Lampedusa on Monday with 16 men, 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt who were rescued at sea after departing from Libya, a ministry spokesman said.
Last week, Italy officially opened two centers in Albania where it plans to process thousands of asylum seekers beyond its borders.
The centers will house only adult men, while vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly and those who are sick or victims of torture will be housed in Italy. Families will not be separated.
Italy’s ambassador to Albania, Fabrizio Bucci, said on Friday that the two centers were ready to process the migrants after their opening was delayed for several months to strengthen the fragile ground in one of the centers in Gjader where they will be housed.
Although the center in Gjader has a capacity for 3,000 migrants, it will start with 400 people and increase to 880 in a few weeks.
The number of people reaching Italy via the central Mediterranean migration route from North Africa has dropped by 61 percent in 2024 compared to 2023. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, as of October 15, a total of 54,129 migrants had arrived in Italy by sea this year, compared to 138,947 in same date last year. – AP
