Shëngjin

An Italian navy ship has docked at the Albanian port of Shengjin to bring the first group of 16 migrants intercepted in international waters to be processed there.

The naval ship Libra left the port of Lampedusa on Monday with 16 men - 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt - who were rescued at sea after departing from Libya, a ministry spokesperson said.

Albania has welcomed its first group of 16 migrants deported from Italy, as reported by El Pais. The Italian warship Libra docked at the port of Shengjin, and shortly thereafter, the migrants began disembarking, having been rescued in the Mediterranean on Monday.

A group of migrants, intercepted in Italian waters, disembark at Shengjin port in Albania on Oct. 16, 2024.

A navy boat carrying migrants intercepted in Italian waters docked at Shengjin port in Albania Wednesday, AFP reported, the first arrivals under a new deal between Rome and Tirana.

Two migrant accommodation centers in Albania are set to receive asylum seekers from Italy.

The journey of the first migrants started by sea to the cities of Shëngjin and Gjadër in Albania where the two structures have been built.

Two reception centers built in Albania to take in migrants arriving in Italy opened their doors on Friday, an Italian official said, part of a deal between the two countries aimed at tackling irregular migration into the European Union.

The construction of Italy's closed migrant centers in Albania for migrants picked up at sea is several weeks behind schedule, it was reported on Thursday. 

According to sources the delays are partly due to the hot weather in Albania, which limited the working hours of the construction crews.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Albania on Wednesday, where her government plans to build reception camps to house thousands of migrants picked up at sea.

Looking to curb migration to Italy, Meloni signed a deal with Albania last year to send some asylum-seekers to the Balkan country and process the asylum requests there.

Here are some facts about the plan.

Afghans evacuated recently to Albania have painted two murals in Tirana and Shengjin to express gratitude for the warm reception they have received.