The ship, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, anchored at 7:30 AM. Initially, the migrants will undergo verification procedures and health checks at the reception center.

As reported by ANSA, the ship carried nationals from Bangladesh (the majority), Egypt, the Ivory Coast, and Gambia, who will undergo fast-track border procedures designed for individuals coming from safe countries and who have not provided identity documents.

After these procedures, they will be transferred to Gjadri. This is part of the agreement between Italy and Albania to ease the flow of migrants heading to Italy.

The reactivation of the Italy-Albania agreement follows a pause of approximately two months. This marks the third operation to accommodate migrants in Gjadër. In the first two cases, the migrants were sent back to Italy due to a ruling by a court in Rome.

/Ansa/a.f/sm/

“I have made myself clear for numerous journalists yesterday in Berlin why Albania signed this agreement and how we see it. We have been asked by other countries, and we said ‘No.’ Secondly, everyone needs to understand that both countries maintain a special relationship, which has seen a great deal of interaction in the past. Since we escaped the harshest communist regime in Europe, when we left our shores and Italy opened its arms for us, or when Italy bailed us out of a financial disaster right after the collapse of fraudulent pyramid schemes and provided aid in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. They were the first to come and risked their lives to save those trapped under the rubble.”
Rama emphasized that Albania is not an EU member state and, as a result, it should follow a different approach compared to other countries.

“We are not an EU member state, so our geography speaks volumes about what we have done for Italy. If there is anything to be worked on this model, it should rest with the top levels of the EU and the Western Balkans. Immigration is not something that can be tackled piecemeal, instead it requires a qualitative approach of the EU.”
Prime Minister Rama concluded his remarks by stating that Albania is a country that the EU needs, beyond its journey to reach this point.
“To sum up, I would say that we are very inclined to do whatever it takes to be a proud member of the EU. Although I am among the tallest of prime ministers, that does not distract me from the fact that I represent one of the smallest countries. It’s not a matter of menu! When you join a large family, you cannot choose only desserts, but also other things that are on the menu, even if they are not very tasty. This is how we see our commitment to this family: being loyal. The EU will never have a more loyal member than Albania.”

/Ermira Isufaj/sm/