The opening of two Italian migrant centres in Albania has been postponed due to unfinished construction work, according to Euractiv.
Sander Marashi, director of the Shengjin port, reported on Monday (May 20) that the opening of the centres would be postponed due to “construction work being ongoing” at the port.
Albania will receive migrants taken from international waters at a centre at Shengjin on the Adriatic Sea. Another centre inland will then process them under a controversial agreement with Italy.
Last week, the media reported that the delay was allegedly due to construction work carried out by Italian companies.
The Italian military engineers working on the Shengjin and Gjader sites under the agreement between Rome and Tirana, have not yet completed the construction of the reception facilities.
In early May, only about a dozen small prefabricated blocks appeared in the port centre of Shengjin. Once completed, the 4,000-square-metre plot would be surrounded by four-metre-high walls, local authorities stated.
After registering, the migrants will arrive at Gjader, a former military base about 20 kilometres from the port. They will stay there while the authorities process their asylum applications.
The two Italian migrant centres, funded and managed by Italy, can reportedly accommodate up to 3,000 migrants rescued by Italian ships at sea at a time. Italy will fully cover the cost of construction, security, and medical care for the asylum seekers, estimated at 650-750 million euros over five years.
According to the Italian interior ministry, the number of people trying to reach Europe via Italy increased significantly in 2023. Last year, 157,652 people arrived on Italian shores, up from 105,131 in 2022.
The International Organisation for Migration reported that more than 3,000 undocumented migrants went missing last year. According to the report, they attempted to make the dangerous crossing from North Africa.
