An Italian navy ship carrying 49 migrants picked up in international waters arrived in Albania on Tuesday, amid a new attempt by Italy to push ahead with a legally contested plan to relocate migrants to the neighbouring country.

Italy has resumed sending illegal migrants to its new Albania processing centre as Giorgia Meloni, the country’s prime minister, attempts to circumvent the European Court of Justice (ECJ...

Italy says it is transferring 49 migrants picked up in the Mediterranean to new processing centers in Albania, in the third such attempt facing hurdles by courts.

Italian Navy patrol vessel Cassiopea early on Tuesday reached the Albanian port of Shengjin with 49 migrants rescued over the weekend in international waters south of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.

Giorgia Meloni's government has built two reception centres in Albania, the first such deal involving a European Union nation diverting migrants to a non-EU country, but they have been empty since November after running into court opposition.

Tuesday's boat was the first to arrive in Albania following a monthslong pause. The European Court of Justice is set to review the scheme in February.

Italian judges twice refused to approve the detention of groups of migrants in Albanian centers in 2024. This is the Italian government's third attempt to outsource migrant processing in Albania.

An Italian navy ship has arrived in Albania with 49 migrants intercepted in international waters for processing of their asylum applications at special Albanian centers

The Italian navy vessel Cassiopea detected 49 migrants during its patrols in the Mediterranean and is transferring them to processing centres in Albania, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. This is the third attempt to process adult male migrants in Albania after the first two transfers under a scheme launched in October were blocked due to legal hurdles.