In a answers about XMeloni said the opinion confirmed the “validity” of his government’s approach and struck down “forced and groundless legal interpretations,” which he said had led to “two wasted years.”
The Italian government cut a deal with Albania in 2023 to keep migrant detention and deportation centers on its territory. Initially, the centers were intended for people seeking asylum from countries considered safe while their applications were being processed, but Rome has decided to also use them to house people whose applications have been rejected and will be deported.
Non-governmental organizations have repeatedly criticized the Italian facilities, including Amnesty International raise concerns that the rights of asylum seekers would be “drastically curtailed.”
Nicholas Emiliou, chief advocate at the Court of Justice of the European Union, discussed in comments posted Thursday that EU law does not prevent countries from setting up detention centers to process failed asylum seekers outside their territory.
But he insisted that the country would still be bound by EU guarantees for migrants, including the right to legal advice, language support and special support for young children and other vulnerable people.
The legal advice comes as EU negotiators are in final talks on new rules that will allow EU countries to set up so-called “return centres” outside the bloc. German and Dutch ministers confirmed last month that they aim to have such plans in place by the end of the year.
The court’s final decision does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the attorney general, but it often does.
