Italy Limited the Return of Refugees to Safe Countries

• The European Court allowed Italy to expedite the deportation of migrants to safe countries.
• The expedited process is being challenged due to violations of migrants' rights.
• Recognition of safe countries is subject to judicial control.

Rome — The European Union Court upheld the decision that Italy may expedite the deportation of migrants to countries considered "safe," but with certain limitations.

The court is considering whether the expedited procedure allows for a quick return of migrants to countries that are not experiencing war or significant crises. Two Bangladeshi nationals, rescued last year by the Italian fleet, were placed in a detention center in Albania. Since Bangladesh is on the list of countries that Italy considers safe, their application for asylum was quickly assessed and rejected.

The process of expedited returns and the detention of migrants in Albania was initiated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government with the aim of reducing the number of migrants who arrive in the country.

This policy has drawn various criticisms. Italian courts have previously ruled against these policies and referred several cases to the EU court in Luxembourg for clarification.

Opposition politicians assert that this scheme is costly, complicated, and undermines migrants' rights. A delegation of non-governmental organizations that monitored the process in Albania stated that it unlawfully deprives migrants of the opportunity to file an application for asylum.

The court established that the transparency of the expedited procedure does not violate EU legislation, recognizing that safe countries may be subject to judicial control so that migrants can appeal their decision regarding the application.

Meloni's office expressed surprise at the ruling, emphasizing that Italy's migration policy is exclusively within the competence of the executive and legislative branches and not subject to judicial control.

The ruling states that a country cannot be considered safe if it does not have sufficient protection for vulnerable groups. The country must be "safe for the entire population, not just for a part of it."

Italian court ruled last year that migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt cannot be returned immediately, as these countries are not considered safe.

The judges of the Roman Court of Appeal, which referred the case to Luxembourg, noted that the last word regarding the legality of applying the procedure for two Bangladeshi nationals lies with the EU court.

Tags: Europe/Politics