Italy's Meloni Pushes New Migrant Legislation

Italy's government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is attempting to salvage a controversial migrant transfer agreement with Albania after a court ruling mandated the return of 12 asylum seekers from Italy to Albania. This legal setback jeopardizes Meloni's plan to process migrants outside the EU and has prompted the cabinet to quickly pass new legislation that designates certain countries as 'safe' for asylum processing, thereby circumventing judicial interpretations that challenged the agreement. The decree modifies the list of 'safe countries', removing Nigeria, Cameroon, and Colombia, while controversially retaining Egypt and Bangladesh despite court objections. The initiative, part of a €670 million plan, aims to deport migrants deemed ineligible for asylum back to their home countries after processing in Albania. Meloni's government faces criticism for the ruling, with her party condemning the judiciary's decision as politically motivated and threatening to undermine Italy’s border controls. The situation highlights ongoing tensions in the EU regarding migration policies and the legality of external processing centers.