Italy-funded asylum centres in Albania to be fully operational by September

Rome: Italy’s controversial plan to open migrant processing centres in Albania has been delayed. Officials cite construction issues at the Gjadër site primarily due to the region’s hot weather.

Initially set to open this week, the centres are expected to be operational in several weeks, according to Italian Cabinet Secretary Alfredo Mantovano.

The agreement signed last year by Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama aims to process the asylum claims of migrants rescued at sea while keeping them in Albania, a move that has garnered both criticism and support.

Locally, reactions to the centres are mixed. While protests have occurred in Tirana and Lezhë, many residents near the sites seem largely indifferent.