Italy’s controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Albania is expected to begin within a few weeks, following many delays and strong criticism.
The deal was initially announced by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama last November in Rome.
The agreement allows up to 36,000 migrants – rescued by Italian ships including the coastguard or border police – to be sent to Albania each year.
Sky News has become the first international media organisation to be granted access to sites being used to process migrants.
The two Italian-run migrant centres are being built in Shengjin and nearby Gjader, about 45 miles north of the Albanian capital, Tirana.
The first one in the port of Shengjin features four large two-floor buildings covering an area of 6,000 square meters.
Italian state police manager Evandro Clementucci oversees the centre and showed us around the control room which monitors 40 CCTV cameras on the five-metre-high perimeter metal fence.
Mr Clementucci explained that only single men rescued in international waters would be sent here. Those saved by ships run by charities or migrant groups, who enter land directly on Italian soil, or are found in Italian waters, will be excluded from the scheme.
The plan applies to people from the countries considered “safe” by the Italian government like Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, and Bangladesh.
It means, in the case of a rejected asylum claim, they can be repatriated because of Italy’s agreements with those countries.
Shengjin is the initial reception centre for migrants. It is staffed by about 70 people, including Italian police officers and private contractors who are managing both centres.
Migrants arriving here receive a health screening, are given food, water and clothes, and have access to independent legal advice.
“I want to be clear: I do not see them as criminals. We will treat them as our guests, we want them to be safe,” Mr Clementucci told us.
We also saw waiting areas, medical facilities, showers, and parking for buses which will depart to Gjader – a former military base and the next step for migrants on their journey.
During the 25-minute trip there, Italy’s ambassador to Albania, Fabrizio Bucci, rejected any comparison with the UK’s failed Rwanda asylum scheme.
“The two plans are not comparable and the alleged link among them is inappropriate. Inside our centres in Albania, there is Italian jurisdiction: so Italian laws and Italian rules. We also studied Albanian legislation on migration and we know it matches the European legislation,” Mr Bucci said.
Construction at the Gjader centre seems behind schedule – building materials, windows and doors litter the site – but officials are confident it will be ready “within a few weeks”.
The opening has already been postponed three times. Heatwave conditions were among the reasons given for delays.
Gjader is split into three main areas:
The first hosts fast-track asylum claims, a process restricted to a maximum of 28 days. Here migrants sleep four at a time in a fifteen-metre-square bedroom – although electricity has still not been connected and there is no furniture yet.
The showers include information signs in Italian, English and French.
Another part of the site features the repatriation detention centre, for people whose cases have been rejected and are waiting repatriation.
And a third area is a blue-painted mini penitentiary – featuring a prison-style armoured door and barred windows – for anyone caught committing crimes within the centre.
The capacity for the Shengjin and Gjader centres is supposed to be 3,000 people a month, but we understand initially it will be more likely around 1,000 people.
Successful asylum seekers will be taken to Italy by ferry.
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According to Italian presidency state undersecretary and Italy intelligence delegate, Alfredo Mantovano, this is an “innovative model for managing illegal migration flows and it’s getting broad consensus in Europe”.
Our research suggests that 15 of the 27 European Union countries have asked Italy to share details of their scheme.
Italian officials have refused to say how much the project will cost, but we understand the five-year agreement will cost almost €1bn.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed to Sky News it is closely monitoring the scheme.
“It is possible for the member states to co-operate with countries outside the EU in managing migration,” European officials told us.
“But this must mirror all guarantees and applicable provisions. It is important that this is done in full respect of EU and international law.”
Sky News has also spoken to PD, Italy’s centre-left and main opposition party, about the plan. Pierfrancesco Majorino, head of migration policies, described it as “obscene”.
He said: “It’s a botched operation which tramples on human rights. It’s a damaging and expensive show.”
Meanwhile, Riccardo Magi, from the pro-European and liberal More Europe party, has called the project the “Italian Guantanamo”, because it “doesn’t respect human rights and international laws”.