"Italy and Albania Reach Agreement to Shelter Asylum-Seeking Migrants"

Italy's lower chamber of parliament has approved a deal with Albania to house migrants during the processing of their asylum requests, a move aimed at sharing the migration burden with the rest of Europe. The proposal, which now goes to the Senate, has faced criticism from human rights groups and the opposition, who view it as outsourcing international obligations and a costly exercise in propaganda. The deal, endorsed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, would see Albania shelter up to 36,000 migrants for a year while Italy fast-tracks their asylum requests, but concerns remain about human rights safeguards and legal ambiguities.