**Italy Begins Transfer of Migrants to Albania Under New Plan**

Italy has initiated the transfer of migrants to Albania in a bid to process asylum requests outside its own borders, according to an announcement by the Interior Ministry on Monday. The move marks the commencement of a contentious scheme aimed at alleviating Italy's migration burden. A naval vessel departed from the island of Lampedusa carrying 16 men—10 from Bangladesh and 6 from Egypt—rescued at sea after leaving Libya. The ship is expected to reach its destination on Wednesday morning, an unnamed ministry spokesman confirmed.

This latest action aligns with Premier Giorgia Meloni's far-right administration's recent decision to establish two centers in Albania dedicated to processing the asylum claims of thousands of male migrants intercepted in international waters en route to Europe. Initially designed to house up to 400 individuals, these facilities are projected to expand their capacity to 880 within a few weeks, officials stated. Meanwhile, women, children, the elderly, those who are ill, and victims of torture will continue to be housed in Italy, ensuring that families are not separated.

The agreement, ratified last year and endorsed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is regarded by some as a novel approach to managing migration flows. However, it has attracted criticism from human rights organizations, which argue that it sets a problematic precedent. A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) revealed that one of its teams is independently monitoring the screening process on the ship to ensure the migrants' rights are upheld. The agency will oversee the implementation for the first three months to guarantee the safeguarding of the migrants' rights and dignity.

Under the five-year deal, Albania will accommodate up to 3,000 male migrants while Italy expedites their asylum applications, all the while ensuring these individuals retain their right under international and EU law to seek asylum in Italy. The operation of these two centers, which will remain under Italian jurisdiction with external security provided by Albanian guards, will cost Italy 670 million euros ($730 million) over a span of five years.

Premier Meloni and her right-wing coalition have consistently advocated for a more equitable distribution of the migration load among European nations. Italy's innovative yet controversial agreement with Albania is a significant step in their ongoing effort to address what they perceive as a long-standing imbalance in the region's handling of migrant influxes.