Italian officials have confirmed that Italy’s controversial new migrant processing centers in Albania won’t be operational for several more weeks because of construction delays

Meloni's right-wing government signed a deal with Albania last year for the camps as part of its efforts to curb immigration, saying they would process some 36,000 migrants a year via two facilities, one at the port of Shengjin and another in Gjader.

Italy, which receives the most migrant arrivals in the European Union, is partially outsourcing the challenge from today, as it opens the first of two planned camps in neighbouring Albania. Migrants will only start to arrive at the camps once both are open and operational.

Migrants rescued at sea while attempting to reach Italy are likely to see themselves transported to Albania beginning next month while their asylum claims are processed, under a controversial deal in which the small Balkan country will host thousands of asylum-seekers on Italy’s behalf.

Italy and Albania failed to meet a deadline on Thursday to open a controversial camp to hold migrants in the Balkan country until their asylum applications are processed.

The controversial deal, in which the Western Balkan country will host thousands of asylum seekers on Italy’s behalf, is expected to last for five years and provides shelter to up to 3,000 migrants picked up by the Italian Coast Guard in international waters each month.

Migrants rescued at sea while attempting to reach Italy are likely to see themselves transported to Albania from next month while their asylum claims are processed, under a controversial deal in which the small Balkan country will host thousands of asylum-seekers on Italy’s behalf.

Migrants rescued at sea while attempting to reach Italy may see themselves transported to Albania from next month while their asylum claims are processed, under a controversial deal in which the small Balkan country will host thousands of asylum-seekers on Italy’s behalf.