Meloni said the Albanian centres would initially host some 3,000 people when they are due to open in spring 2024. More than 145,000 people have come ashore in Italy so far in 2023, compared with around 88,000 in the same period in 2022. The same source denied Italy would pay any money to Albania to host the centres. Meloni said Italy would build a migrant identification facility at the Albanian port of Shëngjin, and a repatriation centre inland. The main countries migrants have arrived from in Italy in 2023 were Guinea, Ivory Coast and Tunisia, official data shows.

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Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Rama, Rome, Maurizio Veglio, Angelo Amante, Alvise Armellini, Alison Williams Organizations: European Union, Italian coastguard, Albanian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, ROME, Albania, Albanian, Africa, Shëngjin, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Rwanda