The European Court of Justice has ruled in favour of Italian judges who blocked Italy from sending refugees to camps in Albania. This decision is being seen as a significant blow to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s immigration plan.

The EU’s top court has ruled against Italy’s use of Albania-based migrant detention centres, saying countries can’t declare another nation “safe” for asylum seekers unless that safety applies to all individuals.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) sided with an Italian court that questioned the government’s designation of Bangladesh as a “safe country of origin” — a label that allows deportations and detentions of asylum seekers while their application is under review.

The judgment emphasised that these designations must allow for judicial review and be backed by clear, accessible evidence. A country cannot be labelled “safe” according to the ruling if it isn’t safe for specific vulnerable groups.

The case was sparked by two Bangladeshi nationals rescued at sea by Italian authorities and transferred to Albania, where Italy had built two offshore processing centres. There, migrants can apply for asylum as if they were on Italian soil — but only if they’re from countries Italy deems “safe”. Those who aren’t must be allowed to stay in Italy while their asylum claims are processed.

Italy updated its list of “safe” countries in October 2024 to include Bangladesh, Egypt, and others — a move criticised for ignoring threats some individuals may still face in those countries. When the Bangladeshis appealed their rejections, the Italian court sent the case to the ECJ, citing a lack of transparency in how “safety” was assessed.