Courts Send Migrants with Criminal Records Back to Italy, Says Meloni

Rome: Italian courts are reportedly sending migrants with criminal records back to Italy from two newly established centres for processing and repatriation (CPRs) in Albania. Premier Giorgia Meloni voiced her criticism of the magistrates’ actions during a question time session in the Senate on Wednesday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the CPRs were initially intended to serve as centres for migrants intercepted at sea, aiming to deter departures from Africa. However, the Italian government was compelled to repurpose these facilities as ordinary centres for migrants in Italy. This decision followed court rulings that blocked the detention of the first groups of migrants sent to Albania, arguing that their countries of origin, such as Egypt and Bangladesh, were not entirely safe.

Meloni explained that the government has decided to utilize the Albanian centres as standard CPRs, transferring irregular migrants who are awaiting repatriation. Despite this adjustment, some courts have been ordering the return of migrants to Italy when they apply for international protection, even if the applications are considered clearly unfounded.

Meloni expressed her concerns about the profiles of these individuals, stating that almost all the migrants transferred to Albania have been involved in serious crimes, including theft, robbery, illegal possession of weapons, attempted murder, sexual violence, child pornography, solicitation of a minor, and obscene acts near minors. She emphasized the government’s stance on repatriating such individuals, in contrast to those who wish to keep them in Italy.