An Italian judge has ruled that while Italy can deport migrants to Albania, it cannot detain them due to overlapping sovereignty issues between Italian and Albanian authorities.
Last week, Italy opened migrant camps in Albania, welcoming the first 16 migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt. However, the judge ordered their release, indicating that Albania must return them to Italy.
Among the initial group, four migrants were sent back to Italy after being identified as underage or having health conditions. The remaining 12 are also expected to be returned to Italy.
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The ruling referenced a decision from the Court of Justice of the European Union, which stated that the migrants’ countries of origin cannot be deemed “safe.”
