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Albania's deal with Italy on migrants has been welcomed by many. But others are confused and angry
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A truck exits from the port of Shengjin, northwestern Albania, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni announced that Albania had agreed to give temporary shelter to thousands of migrants who try to reach Italian shores while their asylum bids are being processed. Albania will offer two facilities, a quarantine area at the port of Shengjin and an accommodation center for those who will be deported at a former military airport in Gjader. - photo by AP Photo/Armando Babani
SHENGJIN, Albania (AP) — When the leaders of Albania and Italy announced a contentious agreement earlier this week to jointly process some asylum applications of migrants arriving by sea, some in the Western Balkans country saw it as reciprocation. Italy had welcomed thousands of Albanians fleeing poverty after the fall of communism more than three decades ago, and Albania's current government wanted to pay back the Italians' hospitality. On Monday, Albania agreed to temporarily shelter thousands of migrants while Rome reviews their requests seeking asylum in Italy.