Rome CNN —A controversial plan agreed upon between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart in November to send boat migrants to Italian-run centers on Albanian soil has passed the Italian Senate. The plan passed on a vote of 93 to 61. It is unlawful under EU law to immediately deport a migrant or refugee until their application for asylum is processed. The centers will be built with Italian funds and staffed with Italian civil servants to process up to 3,000 asylum applicants a month. In 2023, more than 157,000 people reached Italy by boat, according to Italian interior ministry data.

---

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN —, Giorgia Meloni, Atdhe Mulla, NGO’s, Meloni’s, Matteo De Bellis, “, ” Organizations: Rome CNN, Italian, Italian Senate, European Union, Bloomberg, Getty, Coast Guard, Navy, Amnesty Locations: Italian, Guantanamo, Albania, Afghan, Shengjin, Italy, United Kingdom, Rwanda