In Europe, they are considering adopting the "Italian model" and sending immigrants outside the Union

 In Europe, they are considering adopting the "Italian model" and sending immigrants outside the Union

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney yesterday (Tuesday) referred to her government's agreement with Albania, which allows it to send asylum seekers to Albania - and process their asylum applications there. Maloney said that this is a "new, brave and unprecedented initiative that perfectly reflects the European spirit". The agreement arouses interest in the European Union, where they are already considering adopting the method in the future. The agreement with Albania, which is not a member of the European Union, is designed to fight immigration to Italy and deter illegal immigrants who want to reach the country of the boot. The agreement is considered controversial, and human rights organizations question the likelihood that Albania will adequately treat asylum seekers. They claim that the initiative is intended to protect Italy's borders - and not human life. This week, a ship of the Italian Navy left for Albania, with 16 African immigrants on board who were recently rescued from the sea. The countries they came from are defined in Italy as "safe" countries - which actually dramatically reduces the chance that their asylum application will be approved. Maloney's right-wing government emphasized that only migrants who are not helpless, and from "safe" countries, will be sent to Albania. As part of the agreement, every year Italy will be able to send up to 36,000 immigrants to Albania - as long as they come from those "safe" countries. On Thursday, the leaders of the EU countries will meet to discuss the issue of migration to the continent. Ahead of the summit, in a letter to the leaders, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, referred to the Italian initiative. Von der Leyen called on the leaders to look into options for the return of migrants outside the borders of the European Union. She cited the agreement between Italy and Albania as a possible model. Contrary to the approach in recent years, von der Leyen proposed that illegal immigrants, without a legal right to stay in the European Union, would be sent to countries outside the borders of the Union - with which the Union would sign agreements. She stated that the EU's policy on returning immigrants will be examined, to make sure that immigrants who are deported from one country in the European Union cannot move to another country and thus escape deportation. The European Commission said that at the summit starting tomorrow, it will propose new measures to deal with illegal immigration to the Union. Reuters wrote that the Commission will propose to tighten the immigration policy of the Union, in light of the increasing pressure from governments on the continent. In 2015, when the migrant crisis on the continent reached its peak, more than a million illegal immigrants and asylum seekers arrived at the borders of the European Union. Last year their number dropped to a third of the number in 2015, but the issue still remains a sensitive and significant issue on the entire continent. The issue of immigration influences European elections and contributes to the strengthening of the extreme right on the continent. Several countries have recently announced new restrictions against illegal immigrants and infiltrators. In order to prevent illegal immigrants from infiltrating them, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia decided to prohibit free passage through their borders in the "Schengen area" - which should allow freedom of movement between the EU countries (the countries are allowed to close the borders in exceptional cases). Some leaders on the continent have previously criticized plans to send illegal immigrants to a third country to process their asylum applications - such as an agreement signed in the past between Great Britain (which is no longer a member of the Union) and Rwanda, but the Guardian writes that there is now a growing desire in the European Union for a similar approach. In May, EU member states agreed on new rules for handling asylum requests, but their implementation should not begin until mid-2026. In a letter to the leaders, von der Leyen suggested bringing forward the implementation of the agreement. Von der Leyen also proposed to sign additional agreements with the countries from which the immigrants come, or through which they pass on their way to the borders of the European Union. The EU has signed such agreements with Turkey, Tunisia and Libya: the governments of those countries receive money from the EU to fight infiltrators and migrant smuggling. The President of the European Commission said that the Union should also cooperate with Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal and Mali. First published: 23:50, 15.10.24 Source: https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/b15j3r2yyx