ROME, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Italy has restarted its contentious program of sending asylum seekers picked up in the Mediterranean to Albania, months after judges in Rome ruled against the transfers.
On Sunday, an Italian Navy vessel transported 49 male asylum seekers to Albania. The program involving Albania is part of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's strategy to curb the number of migrants coming to Italy.
The plan is controversial as Albania is outside the European Union, meaning the refugees are not protected under EU asylum rules.
Domestic critics in Italy said the program is costly and ineffective, considering its projected expense of 800 million euros (around 840 million U.S. dollars) will address only a tiny fraction of the migrant influx to Italy each year.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 66,000 asylum seekers landed on Italian shores in 2024, down dramatically from nearly 158,000 in the previous year. ■
