Italy dispatches first group of migrants to Albania, source tells Reuters

Italy is taking a first group of migrants to Albania aboard a navy ship, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Monday, activating a controversial plan to process thousands of asylum-seekers abroad.

Giorgia Meloni's government has built two reception centers in Albania, the first such deal involving a European Union nation diverting migrants to a non-EU country in an effort to deter irregular arrivals.

The source, who asked not to be named, said to Reuters that the Libra ship had departed from near the island of Lampedusa with an unspecified number of migrants who were recently rescued at sea.

He said they were all males from a list of countries that were deemed safe by Italy and who will be subject to accelerated border controls.

At present there are 21 safe countries on the Italian list, recently increased from 15, including Bangladesh, Egypt,...