Two irregular Tunisians hosted at the center of Porto Empedocle in Sicily were repatriated by Italian authorities with expedited border procedures on Wednesday, September 11. These procedures were not allowed until now as judges in Catania had not validated the detention of some Tunisian nationals at the Pozzallo Center in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, last year.

The news comes at the same time as the government is getting ready to open two facilities for migrants in Albania, with 4 months of delay following the first announcements. One facility in Shengjin will provide first assistance, while another in Gjader will accommodate those undergoing expedited border procedures. The first arrivals are expected by the end of the month.

'Expedited procedures work' says Minister of Interior Piantedosi

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi expressed satisfaction with the repatriation cases. The expedited procedures, he explained, are "an effective tool to contrast illegal migration which was included, also thanks to Italy, in the Migration and Stability Pact" of the EU.

Introduced with the Cutro decree last year, these procedures allow for a rapid assessment of asylum requests from individuals from safe countries, while detaining them in a specialized facility for up to 28 days. After this period, the individual must either be repatriated or released. Initially, judges did not validate this measure, but changes have since been made.

The Ministry of Interior initially appealed to the Court of Appeal against the decisions but later withdrew and opted to modify the measure. The controversial 5,000-euro bail requirement for asylum seekers, which had faced judicial objections, was among the issues addressed.

Also read: Majority of migrants in Tunisia are aiming for Italy, suggests research

All Tunisian migrants to undergo expedited procedures

A specific facility was set up in August in Porto Empedocle to detain migrants falling into this category -- essentially non-vulnerable Tunisian males -- to undergo expedited border procedures.

The first detainees, all of whom were Tunisian, arrived at the end of August. Judges from the Palermo court specializing in migration issues validated the detention measures.

On August 31, the judges approved the detention of five Tunisians. For two of them -- who represent the first cases -- the expedited procedures concluded with asylum denial and repatriation, as announced by Piantedosi.

Also read: More than 52,000 attempted migrant departures from Tunisia this year

Two centers in Albania to deter migrants

The government plans to replicate this model in Albania, aiming to create a strong deterrent for potential migrants. The process involves rescuing migrants at sea and repatriating them from Albania within 28 days, without them ever setting foot on Italian soil if their asylum claims are denied.

Work at the Albanian centers, involving the Italian military engineering division called Genio, is nearly complete. The facility in Shengjin is ready, while the Gjader site -- located about twenty kilometers inland -- has experienced delays. The Gjader site will feature three facilities: one for asylum seekers (880 places), one for detention (CPR, 144 places), and one penitentiary (20 places). The government expects the mechanism to be fully operational by the end of the month.

Also read: What is the Italy-Albania deal on migration?