How does Italy's migration deal with Albania work?

By Crispian Balmer

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Albania on Wednesday, where her government plans to build reception camps to house thousands of migrants picked up at sea.

Looking to curb migration to Italy, Meloni signed a deal with Albania last year to send some asylum-seekers to the Balkan country and process the asylum requests there.

Here are some facts about the plan.

WHAT IS IN THE DEAL?

The accord, agreed for an initial five years, foresees disembarking 36,000 migrants a year at the Albanian port of Shengjin, about 75 km (45 miles) south of the country's capital, Tirana. Their cases will be processed at a centre being built at a nearby air base in Gjader, which can hold 3,000 people.

Both facilities will be staffed by Italian personnel and will operate under Italian jurisdiction. However, outside security will be provided by Albanian guards.

CAN ANY MIGRANT GET SENT TO ALBANIA?

No. Only those migrants who come from countries that Italy deems safe will be able to be processed in Albania. At present there are 21 such countries, recently increased from 15, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Tunisia. Last year, 56,588 migrants arrived in Italy from those four nations.

Meloni has said that pregnant women, minors and other vulnerable people would not be sent to Albania.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Meloni said on Wednesday that the scheme would cost 670 million euros ($729 million) over five years - 7.5% of what Italy currently spends on its migrant reception centres.

HOW WILL IT WORK?

The idea is that selected migrants will be sent directly to Albania after they are picked up at sea. Meloni has said officials will endeavour to examine asylum requests within 28 days, much quicker than the months it currently takes in Italy.

Anyone whose request is accepted will be brought to Italy.

The vast majority of requests are expected to be rejected, because the countries the migrants come from are considered safe, which automatically limits the scope for asylum to be granted. Those whose requests are turned down will be detained ahead of their eventual repatriation.

However, this process is very slow because some countries refuse to take back their citizens or impose limited numbers for returnees. There is a possibility that the centre in Albania will rapidly fill with migrants waiting to be returned home.

It has still not been established whether those awaiting a final decision on their refugee status will be able to leave the centres. Many migrants in Italy vanish from reception centres and disperse around Europe, living under the radar.

WHEN WILL IT START?

It was meant to start this month, but the buildings are not yet complete. Meloni said the two centres would be operational from Aug. 1, but added that Gjader would not be able to take the planned full quota of 3,000 immediately.

WHAT DOES ITALY GET OUT OF THE DEAL?

Italian officials have said the deal could help relieve overcrowding at processing centres in Italy. Meloni also said on Wednesday it would prove an "extraordinary deterrence" for those thinking of coming to Italy. Albania is not a member of the European Union, it is a poor country and does not offer easy access to the wealthy north of Europe.

WHAT DOES ALBANIA GET OUT OF THE DEAL?

By helping out Meloni, the government in Tirana is securing her support as it pushes to become an EU member. It is also showing the rest of Europe that is willing to help the 27-nation bloc deal with one of its most intractable problems of recent years. Ordinary Albanians have also said it is a way of thanking Italy, which took in many thousands of Albanians fleeing poverty after the fall of communism in 1991.

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM BRITAIN'S DEAL WITH RWANDA?

Britain wants to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, but it is a very different plan from Italy's initiative. One key difference is that migrants sent to Rwanda will need to stay in the central African country even if they win refugee status. Another difference is that, unlike Rwanda, those sent to Albania will be protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.

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(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Alex Richardson)