Italy has sent 49 more migrants to Albania for processing following earlier court rejections, in a continuation of efforts to handle asylum applications, reports AP.

An Italian navy vessel arrived in Albania on Tuesday with the migrants, who were intercepted in international waters, to have their asylum claims processed at designated centres in Albania.

This marks the third attempt after previous setbacks in October and November, when Italian courts rejected the detention of two groups at the Albanian centres, which were established under a controversial agreement between Italy and Albania. The courts ruled that the migrants’ home countries were not deemed safe enough for them to face potential repatriation from these centres.

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The cases are now being handled by the European Court of Justice, which has ruled that asylum seekers cannot undergo fast-track procedures leading to deportation if their home countries are not considered entirely safe. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for February 25.

Italy’s government, led by Premier Giorgia Meloni, remains determined to reactivate the centres in Albania despite the court decisions. In late December, Italy’s highest court ruled that Italian judges could not override government policy in determining which countries are safe for migrant repatriation, though lower courts may still make case-by-case decisions.

The migrants will be processed at a reception centre in Shengjin, a port city 66 kilometres northwest of Tirana, before being transferred to the Gjader accommodation centre, about 22 kilometres east. The agreement between Italy and Albania, which was signed in November 2023, permits up to 3,000 migrants intercepted by Italy's coast guard each month to be sheltered in Albania while their asylum claims are assessed.

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Under the deal, Italy will take in those granted asylum, while migrants whose claims are rejected will be deported directly from Albania. While the agreement has been praised by some countries facing high migrant arrivals, human rights advocates have voiced concerns about the potential implications of outsourcing the accommodation of asylum seekers to a non-EU country.

So far this year, 3,704 migrants have arrived in Italy, more than double the number compared to the same period last year, which saw 1,305 arrivals. In total, 66,317 migrants reached Italy last year, a 58% decrease from the previous year. The majority came from Bangladesh, followed by Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt, according to Italy’s Interior Ministry.