Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni used a Senate address on 11 March to accuse Italian judges of undermining her government’s flagship migration deal with Albania, days before voters decide on a sweeping constitutional reform of the judiciary. Rome’s Court of Appeal recently refused to validate the detention of three irregular migrants at the Gjader processing centre, questioning the protocol’s conformity with EU asylum law. Under the bilateral accord signed in 2023, up to 3,000 migrants rescued by Italian vessels can be transferred monthly to two facilities on Albanian soil while their asylum claims are processed. The first centre opened in January but has faced multiple legal challenges over jurisdiction and detainees’ access to Italian courts. Meloni argued that the scheme is fully EU-compliant and essential to deterring smugglers, citing European Commission opinions in its favour. Her criticism dovetails with the government’s push for a “Yes” vote in the 22–23 March referendum, which would split the High Council of the Judiciary and bar career switches between judges and prosecutors. Opponents, including the magistrates’ union ANM, say the overhaul threatens judicial independence—particularly in sensitive areas such as immigration enforcement. For companies relocating staff to Italy, the spat signals a volatile regulatory climate. If courts continue to suspend Albanian transfers, Italy’s already-strained CPR network could fill up, lengthening detention for rejected workers and complicating deportations.
![Meloni Blasts Judges After Courts Block Migrant Transfers to Albania Ahead of Justice Referendum]()
Organizations navigating these uncertainties can streamline visa and residence applications through specialized services. VisaHQ, for instance, tracks Italian immigration developments in real time and offers end-to-end assistance for tourists, assignees, and their employers; its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) lets users check current requirements, generate application packets, and schedule courier delivery—helping to keep mobility plans on track even as the rules evolve.
Meanwhile, a referendum victory for Meloni could fast-track additional migration-control measures now stalled in Parliament. Mobility managers should track parliamentary amendments that could alter processing times for humanitarian and work-permit cases alike. The episode underscores how immigration remains the flash-point issue in Italy’s constitutional debate—and a live operational risk for global mobility programmes.
Organizations navigating these uncertainties can streamline visa and residence applications through specialized services. VisaHQ, for instance, tracks Italian immigration developments in real time and offers end-to-end assistance for tourists, assignees, and their employers; its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) lets users check current requirements, generate application packets, and schedule courier delivery—helping to keep mobility plans on track even as the rules evolve.
Meanwhile, a referendum victory for Meloni could fast-track additional migration-control measures now stalled in Parliament. Mobility managers should track parliamentary amendments that could alter processing times for humanitarian and work-permit cases alike. The episode underscores how immigration remains the flash-point issue in Italy’s constitutional debate—and a live operational risk for global mobility programmes.
