In one of the most consequential votes on EU migration management since the 2015 crisis, the European Parliament on 17 June approved a regulation that enables Member States to transfer rejected asylum-seekers to so-called "safe third countries" with which they have bilateral agreements. The text, adopted by 418 votes to 218, unlocks the possibility of setting up EU-funded processing and detention centres outside the Union’s borders. Italy, which brokered a pilot deal with Albania last year, has lobbied hard for the measure. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni immediately hailed the vote, saying it will help “defend Europe’s borders, drastically cut sea arrivals and hit people-smugglers where it hurts.”
![EU Parliament backs ‘safe-third-country’ migration hubs after Italian push]()
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Under the regulation, migrants whose claims are rejected must be removed within 30 days; those who do not cooperate may face administrative detention of up to 30 months. Human-rights and centre-left MEPs warn that outsourcing asylum could undermine fundamental-rights safeguards. The text weakens the current automatic suspension of removals during appeals, leaving it to national courts to decide case-by-case. It also expands detention periods and allows transfers even where the migrant has no prior link with the destination country, provided that minimum human-rights criteria are respected. For companies seconding staff to Italy or running regional talent pipelines, the biggest practical change is the likely acceleration of return procedures and a tougher stance on overstayers. Corporate mobility teams should prepare for faster enforcement of expulsion orders and possible reputational risks linked to supply-chain partners involved in detention operations. At the same time, the Albanian facilities could relieve pressure on reception centres in southern Italy and shorten processing times for legitimate work-permit applicants. Implementation now shifts to the Council and national parliaments: Rome plans to ratify its Albania agreement by September, aiming to open the Gjader and Shengjin hubs before the end-of-year holiday peak.
Whether you’re an HR manager relocating talent or an individual traveller, staying on top of Italy’s shifting entry rules can be challenging; VisaHQ simplifies the process by offering real-time visa requirements, digital application tools and concierge support for all Italian permits and travel documents. Explore your options at https://www.visahq.com/italy/
Under the regulation, migrants whose claims are rejected must be removed within 30 days; those who do not cooperate may face administrative detention of up to 30 months. Human-rights and centre-left MEPs warn that outsourcing asylum could undermine fundamental-rights safeguards. The text weakens the current automatic suspension of removals during appeals, leaving it to national courts to decide case-by-case. It also expands detention periods and allows transfers even where the migrant has no prior link with the destination country, provided that minimum human-rights criteria are respected. For companies seconding staff to Italy or running regional talent pipelines, the biggest practical change is the likely acceleration of return procedures and a tougher stance on overstayers. Corporate mobility teams should prepare for faster enforcement of expulsion orders and possible reputational risks linked to supply-chain partners involved in detention operations. At the same time, the Albanian facilities could relieve pressure on reception centres in southern Italy and shorten processing times for legitimate work-permit applicants. Implementation now shifts to the Council and national parliaments: Rome plans to ratify its Albania agreement by September, aiming to open the Gjader and Shengjin hubs before the end-of-year holiday peak.
