Migration experts say Italy's deal to have Albania house asylum-seekers violates international law
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Migration experts and activists on Tuesday panned an agreement between Italy and Albania that would direct thousands of migrants to the Balkan nation while their asylum applications are under review, arguing the deal would potentially violate international law. The European Commission, which supervises the application of European Union laws, suggested the deal could prove problematic if Italy sends migrants found in the EU's territorial waters to a non-EU nation. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that under their initiative, aspiring EU member Albania agreed to temporarily shelter thousands of migrants with asylum petitions in Italy. “The deportation risks violating international norms but that above all wounds their humanity.” The International Rescue Committee said that the deal "strikes a further blow to the principle of EU solidarity'' and emphasized that closing borders would not stem migration.