The European Parliament voted on 10 February 2026 to add seven nations – Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia – to an EU-wide ‘safe country of origin’ list and to allow member states to process asylum claims in third-country “hubs”. The reform, driven by centre-right and right-wing parties, is expected to take effect in June. For Italy, the decision removes the main legal obstacle that had stalled Rome’s bilateral protocol with Albania, under which up to 3,000 migrants rescued at sea could be transferred each month to two Italian-run facilities near Shengjin for fast-track asylum and return procedures. (ansa.it)
The vote follows months of lobbying by the Meloni government, which argued that external processing would relieve pressure on Italy’s reception network and deter human-smuggling routes across the central Mediterranean. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed the outcome as “a green light from Brussels” and confirmed that construction works at the Gjader and Shengjin sites will accelerate so that the first transfers can begin this summer.
In light of these shifting migration and border-control dynamics, VisaHQ can help companies and individual travellers stay compliant by offering real-time guidance on Italian visa categories, document checklists and processing times. Its dedicated Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) consolidates requirements for work, business and family visas and provides application support that can be particularly valuable as authorities fine-tune procedures in response to the new EU rules.
![EU Parliament backs ‘safe-country’ list, clearing path for Italy’s Albania offshore asylum centres]()
Human-rights groups and opposition parties warn that designating broad swathes of the developing world as ‘safe’ risks summary rejections and refoulement. They also question whether Albania— which is not part of the EU or the Schengen area— can guarantee EU-level procedural safeguards once migrants are on its soil. Legal challenges are expected in both the Italian and Albanian constitutional courts, and NGOs have signalled plans to monitor conditions inside the facilities.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the new rules introduce greater predictability at Italy’s external Schengen border by streamlining low-merit claims. Companies that relocate staff to Italy should nevertheless watch for possible protest actions at ports or regional courts that could create short-term disruption. Travel managers should also brief non-EU assignees on the expanded list of ‘safe’ nationalities, as the change may shorten admissibility interviews at Italian consulates worldwide.
More broadly, Italy’s success in promoting the Albania model could encourage other EU states to negotiate similar offshore deals— a signal that the bloc is moving toward tougher externalisation of asylum processing that may reshape future mobility corridors to and within Italy.
The vote follows months of lobbying by the Meloni government, which argued that external processing would relieve pressure on Italy’s reception network and deter human-smuggling routes across the central Mediterranean. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed the outcome as “a green light from Brussels” and confirmed that construction works at the Gjader and Shengjin sites will accelerate so that the first transfers can begin this summer.
In light of these shifting migration and border-control dynamics, VisaHQ can help companies and individual travellers stay compliant by offering real-time guidance on Italian visa categories, document checklists and processing times. Its dedicated Italy page (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) consolidates requirements for work, business and family visas and provides application support that can be particularly valuable as authorities fine-tune procedures in response to the new EU rules.
Human-rights groups and opposition parties warn that designating broad swathes of the developing world as ‘safe’ risks summary rejections and refoulement. They also question whether Albania— which is not part of the EU or the Schengen area— can guarantee EU-level procedural safeguards once migrants are on its soil. Legal challenges are expected in both the Italian and Albanian constitutional courts, and NGOs have signalled plans to monitor conditions inside the facilities.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the new rules introduce greater predictability at Italy’s external Schengen border by streamlining low-merit claims. Companies that relocate staff to Italy should nevertheless watch for possible protest actions at ports or regional courts that could create short-term disruption. Travel managers should also brief non-EU assignees on the expanded list of ‘safe’ nationalities, as the change may shorten admissibility interviews at Italian consulates worldwide.
More broadly, Italy’s success in promoting the Albania model could encourage other EU states to negotiate similar offshore deals— a signal that the bloc is moving toward tougher externalisation of asylum processing that may reshape future mobility corridors to and within Italy.
