Italy Moves to Amend Safe Countries List for Migrants

Italy's government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is pushing to pass a new law that would designate 22 countries as 'safe' for asylum seekers, despite a recent court ruling that invalidated the detention of migrants sent to Albania. The court found that the migrants' countries of origin, Bangladesh and Egypt, may not be safe, which led to the return of 12 migrants from Albania to Italy. Meloni criticized the judiciary's role in determining safe countries, asserting that such decisions should rest with the government. The proposed law aims to circumvent legal challenges and fast-track asylum applications from the designated countries. This controversial policy has drawn attention from other EU nations interested in similar arrangements to handle asylum requests outside the bloc. The move has sparked a political backlash, with opposition leaders welcoming the court's decision and highlighting the government's failure to adhere to international legal standards.