MARAN HERMES

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Patrol boat arrived in Shengjin with only eight migrants on board

The ‘Libra’ has arrived in the port of Shengjin on the morning of Nov 7. The ship had left Lampedusa with just eight asylum seekers on board, after judges in Catania and Rome rejected the Meloni government’s “safe countries” decree on Nov 4. As the conflict between the Italian judiciary and the government over migrants continued, the eight asylum seekers were sent to Albania on ‘Libra’ on the morning of Nov 6. The migrants will be transferred to the Gjader repatriation centre. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Nov 6 that the decision to transfer the small number of people was taken according to very strict operational procedures. The Catania court did not validate the detention of three Egyptian citizens and two Bangladeshi citizens who arrived in Pozzallo. The president of the Catania court, Massimo Escher, said that the list of safe countries drawn up by the government on Oct 21 did not prevent the judiciary from fulfilling its obligation to verify the consistency of such an approach with European law, given the accelerated nature of the procedure for processing asylum applications. The Court of Justice of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Oct 4 that many of the countries listed by Italy could not be considered completely safe. He stressed that Egypt cannot be considered safe given that serious human rights violations take place in the North African country, such as the death penalty, systematic torture by the police, as well as violence and discrimination against women and minors.

Activists protested against deportation of migrants to Shengjin

A group of activists protested on Oct 16 as the 'Libra', carrying migrants intercepted in international waters' arrived in the port of Shengjin, one of the two centres Italy opened in Albania, under Rome's jurisdiction, where it plans to process thousands of asylum-seekers outside its borders. The first centre, an area in Shengjin, 66 kilometres northwest of the capital, Tirana, is used for screening newcomers, while the other centre, about 22 kilometres to its east near the former military airport in Gjader, accommodates migrants during the processing of their asylum requests. The protesters displayed a banner that read, “The European dream ends here." The protesters stated that the deal was against human rights. Such a deal has not been democratic because the peoples of both countries have not been asked. The ship had brought the first group of 16 male migrants, 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt, who were rescued at sea after departing from Libya. Report with photo and video: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/top-stories/activists-protest-as-first-group-of-16-migrants-on-italian-ship-arrive-in-albania/ar-AA1sosPY

16 migrants arrived in Shengjin

On the morning of Oct 16, the 'Libra' with 16 migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt on board, has reached the Albanian port of Shengjin after a 36-hour voyage,. They will be housed in a reception camp made of containers while their asylum applications are processed in Albania. Italy and Albania agreed a year ago to set up reception camps in Albania run by Italy. The agreement concerns male adults who are picked up by ships of the Italian Navy or Coast Guard in international waters, but within the Italian SAR zone. The men are to remain in the reception centers while their asylum applications are processed. The first center is in the northern Albanian port city of Shengjin, where the migrants are to be registered. In a second facility on a former military base in Gjader, around 20 kilometers away, the people are then to wait for their asylum decision. Only if an application is approved will entry into Italy be possible. Reports with photo and video: https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article254029566/Asylverfahren-Erstes-italienisches-Schiff-mit-Migranten-erreicht-Albanien.html https://ansabrasil.com.br/english/news/2024/10/16/italian-navy-ship-with-16-migrants-arrives-in-albania_d1321baf-f657-476b-97fa-a7ef334894a7.html