Brunner Meets Meloni: Talks on Returns and Asylum Centers in Albania
EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) has met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome for an intensive exchange on current migration issues. It was Brunner's first visit to Italy since his appointment as EU Commissioner for Migration.
Magnus Brunner underscored the EU's migration policy challenges and the pursuit of sustainable solutions through cooperation and reform. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Florian Schrötter
The discussion focused on the new returns regulations that Brunner intends to present in March. These are designed to supplement a previously missing element of the asylum and migration pact. “The current rules have been in place since 2008 and no longer reflect today's realities,” explained Brunner after the meeting. He emphasized the priority of implementing the Asylum and Migration Pact, which provides for faster procedures at the EU's external borders, more efficient returns, and an IT system to record all people traveling within the EU.
Another focus of the talks was the so-called Albania Protocol. Last year, Italy set up two reception centers in Albania to carry out asylum procedures outside the EU borders. Although the centers have been operational since October 2024, they have not yet been used as planned due to legal challenges. Court decisions in Italy have repeatedly halted the transfer of migrants to Albania as the legality of this practice has been called into question.
Meloni nevertheless reiterated her support for a new and more effective European legal framework for the return of migrants and emphasized the need for innovative solutions in the field of migration. Both sides agreed to continue the operational cooperation between the European Commission services and the Italian authorities in order to advance the implementation of the Albania Protocol.
Thank you, @GiorgiaMeloni, for the warm welcome to Chigi Palace. Italy is a key partner for the Commission in managing migration. The implementation of the Pact on Asylum and Migration is a priority for this year – where we can, we will do things faster. We also discussed a… pic.twitter.com/KLZGUXa13m
— Magnus Brunner (@magnusbrunner) February 18, 2025
Mr. Brunner thanked Mr. Meloni for the warm welcome at Palazzo Chigi and underlined the importance of Italy as a key partner of the European Commission in migration management. He wrote on the social media platform X: “Thank you, @GiorgiaMeloni, for the warm welcome to Chigi Palace. Italy is a key partner for the Commission in managing migration.”