The Italian Senate has finally approved the country’s agreement with Albania, which provides for the creation of two closed centers for irregular immigrants.

The centers will be created in an area of ​​northern Albania, with a capacity of up to 3,000 people. In accordance with the provisions of the Italian-Albanian cooperation protocol, irregular immigrants rescued by the Coast Guard and the Navy will be transferred to these two structures and who, from these closed centers, will be able to apply for asylum in Italy and to await the relevant response.

Catholic bishop Giancarlo Perego, president of the “Migrantes” foundation, which provides support to immigrants and refugees, expressed his strong opposition to the agreement.

“Once again, it is proven that there is no capacity to create a system of extended reception in Italy,” the Catholic cleric stressed, adding that the money approved for the cooperation protocol with Albania, 673 million euros, “is actually being thrown away sea”.

The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani replied that “it is not money that is thrown into the sea, but an amount that is properly spent, with the aim of dealing with immigration together with a country that is a candidate for joining the European Union”.