Residents of the Shengjin region, situated in the north of this EU candidate country, have welcomed the accord between Tirana and Rome that will 'outsource' asylum application processing.

The Italian government’s plan to hold up to 3,000 asylum seekers in two Italian-run centres in Albania is a cornerstone of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s effort to curb the influx of irregular migrants into Italy from across the Mediterranean Sea.

A court in Rome dealt a further blow to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s plans to resettle some asylum seekers in Albania, saying a second batch of migrants should return to Italy.