Italian Court Rules Against Migrant Detention in Albania

Twelve Bangladeshi and Egyptian men returned to Italy from Albania after an Italian court ruled against their detention under a controversial agreement aimed at managing asylum seekers. The group was part of a larger cohort that arrived in Albania as part of a deal signed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart, which allows Italy to process asylum claims in Albania. However, a ruling from the European Court of Justice deemed the men ineligible for detention in Albania, prompting their return to Italy. Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced plans to appeal the court's decision as Meloni reiterated her commitment to curbing illegal immigration. The deal, criticized by opposition parties and human rights advocates, is part of a broader initiative to ease Italy's immigration pressures, with the potential to process up to 36,000 migrants annually. Meloni has expressed concerns that if countries like Bangladesh and Egypt are labeled as unsafe, it could undermine the program's effectiveness.