Meloni secures Italy's borders: naval blockade and deportations in Albania

RomeIn his crusade against irregular immigration, The Italian government built a very expensive detention center in Albania to deport undocumented immigrants. Intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea, the practically empty vessel began a war against rescue NGOs and limited the recognition of the right to international protection, among other measures. Now, the government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is going a step further and proposing to block ships and expedite the summary deportations of migrants, even in countries other than their countries of origin.

The Italian Council of Ministers has given the green light to a bill that incorporates the new European Union (EU) Pact on Migration and Asylum, but also introduces national security reforms to reinforce Italy's borders, one of the main battlegrounds for the parties that make up the governing coalition.

This consists of a total of 18 articles that include immediate expulsions and the transfer of immigrants to centers located in third countries, following the Albania model: the mega-prison that Italy built in the Balkan country to deport people without the right to asylum, which was Meloni's flagship project, only to be thwarted by successive legal setbacks.

The backing of Europe

This time, however, Meloni is not alone, as the new legislation is supported by The recent changes to European rules that restrict the right to asylum and facilitate the expulsion of immigrants to third countriesAmong the most controversial measures in the new bill is the possibility of prohibiting entry into Italian territorial waters by boat for up to 30 days, extendable to six months, in situations that could be considered a "serious threat to public order or national security," such as terrorism. The naval blockade was one of Meloni's main campaign promises and can be applied during periods of "exceptional pressure" from migrants, according to the text. Those who violate the rules face fines of up to €50,000 and could have their boats confiscated in case of repeat offenses.

Humanitarian organizations operating in the Mediterranean rescuing migrants have been quick to condemn the proposed legislation, which must be approved by both houses of Parliament before taking effect. "The naval blockade is a perversion of the law," denounced Giorgia Linardi, spokesperson for the NGO Sea Watch. "It is repugnant to treat men, women, and children fleeing poverty and persecution as a threat to the state. It is cowardly to return people to countries that persecute them. This is not security; it is inhumanity."

More obstacles to obtaining residency

The new regulations complement those already approved by the Meloni government, which require NGO ships to disembark migrants in distant ports to prevent them from continuing to operate in the Mediterranean. The text also introduces an "accelerated return procedure at the border" that will be carried out directly at border crossings or transit zones and will allow for the immediate rejection of asylum applications from people coming from countries considered unsafe.

A new twist in immigration policy also affects access to complementary protection, that is, the status for foreigners who are not considered refugees but apply for residency in the country based on ties to the country or family reunification. In this case, the Italian government indicates that to prevent the "instrumental use" of these mechanisms, the bill introduces "stricter" criteria.

The new package of measures to secure Italy's borders was approved just after several international organizations reported that hundreds of people—some estimates suggest the number could exceed a thousand—have drowned in the Mediterranean during the recent storms that hit southern Italy.