A constitutional battle erupted in Rome after a judge rejected key elements of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's plan to detain Albanian migrants and sent the migrants back to Italy.
According to broadcaster RAI, a judge in Rome has ordered the deportation of 12 migrants (10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt) who were transferred to a detention center set up in Albania earlier this week, saying their homeland is not safe. The court ruled that he was not subject to deportation because he did not. report.
The ruling casts doubt on the viability of Albania's plan. European countries in the country and even European leaders in Brussels are eyeing it as a potential framework for dealing with illegal migration to Albania.
Under Albania's plan, illegal immigrants would first be sent to detention centers in the Balkans, during which time they would not be allowed to stay in Italy and their asylum claims would be processed abroad. On Monday, the first 16 migrants were sent to centers in Albania, which is under Italian legal jurisdiction.
Prime Minister Meloni's government had classified 22 countries as deemed safe for the return of illegal immigrants. include Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia.
But the judges this week cited an earlier ruling by the European Court of Justice that said countries outside the EU could not be classified as safe unless their entire territory was discovered, saying countries like Egypt and Bangladesh could not be considered “safe”. It was decided that Freedom from dangers such as persecution, torture and the possibility of indiscriminate violence.
The conservative government slammed the ruling, arguing that elected representatives should be the people who decide the country's immigration policy.
Prime Minister Meloni said, “I have convened a meeting of the Council of Ministers next Monday to resolve this issue.I believe it is for the government, not the judiciary, to decide which countries are safe.''
Deputy Prime Minister Mattei Salvini, a hard-line immigration official, added that the ruling was “an attack on Italy and Italians launched by a section of the politicized judiciary, and that those who prevent border defense endanger the country.” ” he said.
Even fellow centrist Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani was critical of the ruling, saying: “I'm used to respecting judicial decisions, but I want the decisions of the executive and legislative branches to be respected, too.'' Because democracy is based on democracy.” Separation of powers.
“The judiciary must apply the law, but it cannot amend the law or prevent the executive from carrying out its duties. Power always comes from the people who elected this parliament and this government. The will of the people Must be respected at all times.”
Justice Minister Nordeo argued that the definition of a dangerous country was too broad. pay attention: “If we believe that no country is safe with rules like the death penalty, then the United States will not be a safe country either.”
