Amnesty International called for the end of Italy’s practice of detaining migrants in Albania, stating that the model poses risks to the safety, freedom and human rights of asylum seekers and migrants.
In its briefing on the 2023 agreement, the organisation said that hundreds of people had been forcibly transferred to facilities in Albania. Amnesty International said that limited access to lawyers and courts at the centres undermined their ability to apply for asylum and access justice.
Transfers by sea halted
Between October 2024 and January 2025, Italy conducted three operations to transfer 74 people directly from international waters to Albania. The practice was halted after Italian courts overturned the detention orders.
The Italian government amended the agreement in March 2025. The change enabled men held in Italy who had been ordered to be deported to be sent to Albania.
Amnesty International said that, following the amendment, more than 500 men, most of whom it described as racialised, were transferred to the Gjader Detention Centre.
42 critical incidents at the centre
The incidents that the organisation said it had documented took place between 11 April and 16 May 2025. Amnesty International said it had identified 42 critical incidents at the facility during this period, including at least two attempted hangings, several cases of self-harm and a protest in which three people were injured by broken glass.
The organisation also accused the Italian government of restricting independent oversight and parliamentary scrutiny. Amnesty International said that, although people detained in Albania remained under Italian jurisdiction, the centre’s distance from Italy and limited access to lawyers, courts and other safeguards undermined the right to seek asylum and access to justice.
Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, said that offshore detention was intended to deter migration and avoid responsibility for responding to people on the move. Geddie said that the Italy-Albania model could not be implemented in a manner consistent with Italy’s human rights obligations.
670 million euros for implementation
The five-year agreement entered into force in February 2024. More than 670 million euros, or 783 million dollars, was allocated by Italy to operate the arrangement through 2028.
Amnesty International called on the Italian authorities to terminate the agreement. The organisation also called for alternatives to detention to be used and for effective access, on Italian territory, to asylum procedures and reception services that respect human dignity.
