In Albania, in the center of Gjadri, which will host the migrants who will be sheltered there based on the agreement between the Albanian and Italian governments, the works are still continuing. Its opening, expected on August 1, has been postponed for several weeks, due to the unexpected that accompanied its construction in a deserted territory, while the center in the Port of Shengjin, where migrants will undergo a process verification is ready. The agreement, which envisages sending migrants caught at sea by the Italian authorities to Albania, has been widely criticized by international human rights organizations.
Once Gjadri was known as one of the important bases of the Albanian army. In recent months, the name of this area is being used more and more often, as the center is being built there where migrants will be received who will arrive based on the agreement signed by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Ram and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Initially, it was predicted that the first migrants would arrive in Albania in May. Then, during her visit in June, to the port of Shengjin, to the first reception center for migrants, Prime Minister Meloni announced August 1 as the start date of this operation, which has been accompanied by numerous debates in Italy as well. due to the high costs that run into hundreds of millions of euros.
Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Bucci explains to the Voice of America that the construction of the center in Gjadër encountered unexpected obstacles that could not have been foreseen. “The first factor is related to the nature of the terrain, which was friable. We could not build on ground that was not stable. As a result, we had to do a lot of work to strengthen the ground. 7,000 concrete pillars, 13 meters long and with a diameter of almost 1 meter, are embedded in the ground..
A second factor that affected the delays of the works, the ambassador explains, was the weather, with extremely high temperatures:We apply the Italian regulations at the construction sites, which provide for the prohibition of work during the hottest hours of the day. So in the last few weeks, we have been forced to block the continuation of work from 11 o'clock in the day to 5 in the afternoon”.
The center of Gjadri covers an area of 70,000 square meters. The entire area is surrounded by concrete walls and a metal fence that reaches up to 5.5 meters high, on a perimeter of 2.1 kilometers.
The camp is divided into four large areas, one of which will be for Italian personnel, another where asylum seekers will be housed, while a space is dedicated to those who do not benefit from the international right to asylum and who will have to are repatriated. In another small area, detention facilities have been created for the cases of persons who will be involved in crimes within the camp. Each area will be separated by perimeter fences.
In the center of the camp, there are silos with prefabricated structures, where the migrants will be housed, in rooms for four people with bunk beds, wardrobes, a table and chairs. All environments are air-conditioned. A space where believers can perform their religious rites is also provided. Next are the facilities for the showers, or the canteen, which, as the ambassador explains, will be supplied by local companies. Local residents and businesses will also be involved in providing various services from transportation to cleaning. According to the Italian ambassador, there will be hundreds of those who will be employed directly or indirectly, thus giving an impact to the local economy.
The Gjadri camp will have to host up to 3,000 people. But in the first phase, it is expected to be several hundred, those who will arrive. The agreement signed in November has been accompanied by criticism and skepticism expressed by many international organizations dealing with human rights and asylum. In Gjadër, special spaces have been provided for migrants' lawyers or legal defenders who will be able to help them during the process of examining the request for asylum.
Likewise, in the port of Shengjin, the entry point for migrants, there will be a special room for human rights organizations. Here, as the head of the center, Evandro Clementucci, tells VOA “the health condition of the migrants will be verified first and you will be given clothes and food and will be able to shower. Then they will be subjected to more detailed checks by the medical staff, to continue with the identification, by the representatives of the migration office”.
The agreement stipulates that women and children, or entire families, will not come to Albania. Thanks to a pre-selection that will be done on board the Italian ships, only migrants originating from countries considered safe by Italy will end up in the Gjadri center, where, as a result, they can be repatriated.
