Meloni hails Council of Europe backing for migrant return hubs

Council of Europe endorsement

In a post on the social media platform X, Meloni stated that the declaration adopted during the Council of Europe summit recognizes "the legitimacy for nations of innovative solutions in managing migration flows." She described the endorsement as "an important result" achieved through a process Italy helped initiate with "courage and determination," noting that the 46-member body had embraced approaches previously dismissed as controversial.

Italy-Albania model

The Italian government has pioneered the use of "return hubs" in Albania, where asylum seekers are processed outside EU territory while their claims are examined. Meloni emphasized that the Chisinau Declaration specifically cited this bilateral arrangement as a template for other European nations seeking to control irregular migration. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen worked closely with Rome to advance the proposal within European forums over the past year.

Shift in European policy

Meloni argued that the declaration demonstrates how Italy's approach to "the orderly management of migration flows" has evolved from a national outlier into a continental standard. "The Italian approach... has now also become Europe's approach," she said, asserting that policies deemed contentious twelve months earlier now constitute "a shared principle" across the Council of Europe's membership.

Implementation concerns

The Chisinau Declaration provides political backing for externalization policies that human rights organizations warn could erode protections for refugees and asylum seekers. While supporters argue the hubs deter irregular crossings and accelerate returns, critics contend that outsourcing processing to third countries risks violating non-refoulement obligations under international law. The Council of Europe includes all 27 EU member states alongside 19 additional European nations.