(ANSA-AFP) - TIRANA, FEB 22 - Albania's parliament on
Thursday approved a controversial deal signed with Italy to host
two holding centres for migrants rescued in Italian waters.
The deal, which required a simple majority approval, passed
with the backing of 77 MPs of the 140-seat parliament, with the
opposition boycotting the vote. The agreement has been denounced
by opposition parties in both countries as well as by rights
groups, resulting in a legal challenge taken up by the top court
in Tirana. Late last month, Albania's constitutional court
approved the deal, paving the way for Thursday's vote. The
parliamentary approval came weeks after Italian MPs also voted
in favour of the agreement, with the lower chamber of parliament
backing the deal by 155 votes to 115, with two abstentions. The
accord allows for two centres to be built near the Albanian port
of Shengjin, where migrants would register for asylum, as well
as a facility in the same region to house those awaiting a
response to their applications. The centres, to be managed by
Italy, can hold a maximum of 3,000 people at any one time while
they await a decision on their claims. (ANSA-AFP).
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