Tavolo Asilo e Immigrazione (TAI), a coalition of organizations working in the field of migration policy, in collaboration with a parliamentary group consisting of members of both Italian houses of parliament as well as Members of the European Parliament (MEP), conducted another monitoring mission to Italy's repatriation centers (CPR) in Albania on October 28.

Those who took part later criticised -- alongside several opposition figures and parties -- the centers.

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Detention lacks legal basis, says TAI

"About 70 percent of the people detained" in an Italian-run migrant repatriation center in Gjader, Albania, "have been returned to Italy after their detention failed to receive authorization [by a judge, Ed.], while the remaining 30 percent are cases of people who do not fulfil the necessary requirements or repatriations authorized by Italy," TAI noted in a statement following the visit.

The statement added that the detention "lacks a legal basis, violating the repatriation directive and jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights, which has already sentenced Italy for similar practices of arbitrary deprivation of personal freedoms."

"The initial government predications were of 3,000 people per month to be detained, with a turnover of up to 36,000 people per year. As of now, the facilities for initial arrival of Shengjin are no longer operative and the total number of people who have been detained in a year and a half are just over 200," said Riccardo Magi, secretary of the +Europa party, which took part in the visit to the centers.

Magi had previously visited the CPRs in 2024, prior to their opening, risking at that time detention by Albanian forces.

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'Ilegitimate' repatriations

The opposition MPs focused not on only on the numbers of people sent, but also on the system of repatriations. "They are illegitimate," said Rachele Scarpa, MP from Italy's Democratic Party (PD).

"In May, the Court of Cassation [Italy's highest court] made a preliminary referral to the European Court of Justice but the transfer continued anyway. The migrants are taken by plane to the centers, but the only 40 people who were actually repatriated [after being held in the center, Ed] left from Rome's Fiumicino airport," she added.

Those repatriated were thus taken to Albania only to later be taken back to Italy to be placed on a plane back to their countries of origin.

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Operating costs in spotlight

Those opposing the centers also noted that the costs of the centers were already high during their construction and have since risen due to constant transfer of migrants between Italian CPRs and the one in Gjader.

"The main problem is obviously the damage to rights. However, since we are in the period when the parliament decides on the coming budget, it is only right to speak about costs as well," said PD MP Matteo Orfini, who took part alongside Magi and Scarpa in the visit to Albania.

"We are told that there aren't the resources for anything. However, according to our calculations, the centers cost one billion in five years," he noted.

"The government gives other numbers and claims that it is a matter of 130 million per year for five years. In either case, these are worrying figures. If this is what it costs for 200 migrants, we are talking about approximately 650,000 euros per person."

In the meantime, transfers continue and have reportedly increased from around 9-10 people arriving every two weeks to the same number every week starting in September.

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