Towards Albania the first migrants transferred from Italy to the new centers set up in the Balkan country based on the agreements signed between the Meloni government and Tirana.
These are people rescued at sea who for the first time will not be taken to Lampedusa or other Italian ports, but to the facilities built in Schengjin and Gjiader , in Albanian territory. The first Navy ship – the Libra – is already on its way. But the agreement, which had already caused controversy when it was signed, is once again being discussed.
" With a 5-month delay, the reception centers wanted by the government in Albania are about to welcome the first migrants," comments Senator Michele Fina for the Democratic Party. Adding: "It is a clear demonstration of how almost a billion euros of Italian taxpayers' money has been squandered for a structure that violates international law and for which Italy is under EU observation. Those same resources could have been used, for example, for healthcare, to shorten waiting lists or to hire doctors and nurses. Instead, they have been thrown away for a useless and purely propaganda operation."
Criticism of the Meloni Government also comes from NGOs involved in rescue operations in the Mediterranean, such as the German Sea Watch, which accused Rome of "spending hundreds of millions of euros of taxpayers' money to deport and incarcerate a few thousand migrants in Albania . Perhaps Italians' taxes can be spent better, to welcome and include, rather than
to reject".
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded to the criticism by writing ironically on her social media channels: "What a scandal! A government that - with a clear mandate received from citizens - works to defend Italian borders and stop human trafficking , through concrete actions and international agreements."
(Online Union)
