Far-right premier Giorgia Meloni has defended the controversial migrant camps Italy has built in Albania, where the first asylum-seekers are due to arrive on Wednesday after being rescued off Libya by Italian coastguard.
"Italy has set a good example in the fight against illegal immigration with the signing of the Italy-Albania Protocol, to process asylum requests in Albanian territory, but under Italian and European jurisdiction," Meloni told the Senate upper house of parliament on Tuesday.
Meloni referred to the contested deal she signed with Albania's premier Edi Rama last November, which human rights advocates say breaches international law but which the European Union tacitly endorsed.
"The two structures provided for under the Protocol - the Shengjin (screening) centre and Gjader (expulsion) centre - are now ready and operational," Meloni sad.
"We took some extra time so that everything was done in the best possible way, but we are extremely satisfied with the results of this work," Meloni added.
The "courageous and unprecedented" solution aimed at curbing illegal boat migrant arrivals in Italy "has all the credentials to be replicated, including with other non-EU nations," Meloni stated.
As part of the pact signed off on by Meloni and Rama. a navy ship set off on Monday "with some irregular migrants onboard", the interior ministry said.
It is understod the first people to be hosted at the migrant centres in Albania include 10 Bangladeshis and six Egyptians - who were part of a group trying to cross the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe.
Women, children and any men with illnesses or who showed signs of torture were instead taken to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.
The facilities in Albania are being run by Italy and are under Italian jurisdiction but Albanian guards will provide extra security. According to Meloni, officials will aim to process asylum requests within 28 days.
Around 500 Italian personnel including prison guards, police, soldiers and Carabinieri paramilitary police will be based in both camps.
The deal will cost Italy 670 million euros over five years and Albania will only process the applications of people from countries designated as "safe" by Italy. That list has recently expanded from 15 nations to 21 and now includes Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Tunisia.
Under the deal, Albania cannot host more than 3,000 migrants at a time.
When Meloni inked the accord with Rama, she said she would do everything in her power to back Albania's EU entry bid.
