EU's top court ruled countries cannot be designated 'safe' unless protection covers their whole population, undercutting the basis of Italy's Albania detention scheme
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Under the Italy-Albania protocol, Italy detained migrants intercepted at sea in centres in Albania and fast-tracked asylum claims using a government list of 'safe countries of origin'. In Alace and Canpelli (Joined Cases C-758/24 and C-759/24), decided August 1, 2025, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that a country cannot be designated safe if it does not protect its entire population, and that the sources behind a designation must be accessible to applicants and reviewable by national courts. Italian courts had already blocked detentions under the scheme several times, including in January 2025, with detained migrants returned to Italy. Prime Minister Meloni's office called the ruling surprising and worrying and said it limits government and parliament's ability to curb illegal immigration; according to ANSA, the government said it would keep seeking solutions ahead of the EU migration pact taking effect.
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