Migrants, Navy ship Libra arrives at the Albanian port of Shengjin. Cecilia Strada: “Handcuffs after disembarkation”

The Navy ship Libra has arrived in Albania carrying 40 migrants, who are to be taken to the repatriation detention center in Gjader. The vessel docked at the northern port of Shengjin.

From there, the migrants will be transferred to the former military base, where they will remain until they are returned to their countries of origin.

The individuals are of various nationalities and had recently arrived at the CPR (Repatriation Center) in Brindisi, at Restinco. The Italian government has ordered their transfer to the Albanian facility following the approval of a decree on March 28. This decree allows for the transfer not only of asylum seekers intercepted at sea, but also of irregular migrants who have received an expulsion order from the police commissioner and whose detention in a CPR has been confirmed by a judge.

Cecilia Strada: “Migrants handcuffed during disembarkation”
“They were getting off in handcuffs.” This is how MEP Cecilia Strada (PD party) described the arrival of the ship in Shengjin, Albania. “We will demand answers,” she added forcefully.
The scene reminded many of similar images recently shared from across the Atlantic, with handcuffs shown off for social media in what have been described as actual deportations.
“We were told the plastic ties were used for safety reasons,” Strada added later, “to protect the individuals and to prevent self-harm or disorder onboard.” These statements suggest the handcuffing may have continued during the approximately seven-hour journey from Brindisi to Shengjin, accompanied by around 80 law enforcement officers.
More details are expected to emerge in the coming days, when legal representatives from the Italian Refugee Center arrive in Albania to determine not only the nationalities of those transferred, but also the detention centers from which they were taken to the port of Brindisi.

EU Commission: “No comment”
The European Commission has made no formal comment regarding the report shared by MEP Cecilia Strada.

“We are aware of the recent developments concerning the decree” governing CPRs in Albania, said a Commission spokesperson, adding that “according to our information, Italian national law will apply to the centers, as it has so far for asylum procedures.” He reiterated that, “in principle, this is compatible with EU law.” Brussels, he added, “continues to monitor implementation of the Italy–Albania protocol and remains in contact with Italian authorities.”

According to sources close to the matter, Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission is accelerating the process of finalizing the list of “safe countries of origin,” a key component of the Albania model. An announcement could be made before Easter.