The eight migrants were first transferred to a reception centre inside the Port of Shengjin, which processes and registers migrants rescued at sea by Italy, before they are transferred to the refugee camp in the village of Gjader.

This is the second group of migrants arriving in Albania under the agreement with Italy. An initial group of 12 migrants was recently returned to Italy following a ruling by a Rome court, which argued they did not originate from “safe countries” as per European guidelines.

In response to the court ruling, Italian government passed a decree to adjust Italy’s list of safe countries for future transfers.

Under the arrangement, migrants rescued at sea undergo initial screenings to determine eligibility for transfer, with guidelines based on European safety criteria. Eligible migrants must be adult men, not classified as vulnerable, and from countries deemed safe under EU law.

The agreement was signed last November by Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The deal allows Italy to set up facilities on Albanian territory for migrants it has rescued at sea, which will accommodate up to 36,000 people a year and their asylum applications will be processed in the two migrant centres in Lezhe.

/u.sh/