Migration experts say Italy’s deal to have Albania house asylum-seekers follows worrying trend

By COLLEEN BARRY and TRISHA THOMAS
Associated Press

MILAN (AP) — Migration experts and activists are planning an agreement between Italy and Albania that would direct thousands of migrants to the Balkan nation while their asylum applications are under review. The exact workings of the arrangement announced Monday as Albania’s leader visited Rome were still unknown. But it recalls a similar move by Denmark to locate asylum-seekers in Africa that was later put on hold.  The European Union’s executive commission suggested Tuesday that the deal could prove problematic if Italy sends migrants found in the EU’s territorial waters to a non-EU nation. Humanitarian groups say the initiative could violate both EU and international laws.