Only 27 people are currently held in the Gjader migration-detention facility that Italy opened in northern Albania this spring, according to an inspection on 11 July by the Lazio and Rome ombudsmen for persons deprived of liberty. The pair argued that, with spare capacity in mainland Italian centres, transferring irregular migrants abroad is neither efficient nor humane. Gjader can accommodate 144 detainees and includes a never-used 24-cell penitentiary wing plus an empty 880-bed area earmarked for asylum seekers intercepted at sea. The site is run by Italian NGO Medihospes under a bilateral accord championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a model for EU external-processing. To date, 140 people have transited the camp, with 37 repatriated and seven granted protection status. Inspectors acknowledged acceptable living conditions but highlighted obstacles to family contact, legal counsel and specialised healthcare, given the distance from Italian courts and hospitals. They urged Rome to rethink mass transfers and invest instead in accelerating asylum decisions on Italian soil. The findings hand ammunition to critics who claim that outsourcing detention violates EU law and wastes resources.
![Italian watchdogs criticise Albania detention plan as facility holds just 27 migrants]()
For those moving through regular, lawful channels—whether tourists, expatriates or employers relocating staff—VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork that Italian authorities still require. The company’s online platform consolidates the latest visa rules, offers document-checking services and provides end-to-end support, helping travellers avoid the administrative pitfalls that often complicate cross-border mobility between Italy, Albania and the wider Balkans.
Companies moving staff between Italy and the Western Balkans should monitor potential protests or legal rulings that could disrupt ferry and air links to Tirana and Bari.
For those moving through regular, lawful channels—whether tourists, expatriates or employers relocating staff—VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork that Italian authorities still require. The company’s online platform consolidates the latest visa rules, offers document-checking services and provides end-to-end support, helping travellers avoid the administrative pitfalls that often complicate cross-border mobility between Italy, Albania and the wider Balkans.
Companies moving staff between Italy and the Western Balkans should monitor potential protests or legal rulings that could disrupt ferry and air links to Tirana and Bari.
