ValEUs Policy Brief no. 2 – Meloni’s Albania Model (Katrin Kehn)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to outsource asylum procedures to a non-EU country for the first time. In this new policy brief, Katrin Kehn explores whether her Albania model signals a strategic shift in European migration policy – or a legal and political trap. The analysis from Katrin Kehn covers key legal challenges, human rights implications, and the role of the European Court of Justice. It also discusses how Meloni's approach could influence broader EU policy and how compatible it is with European values.
Meloni’s Albania Model
– New Strategy or Minefield?
By Katrin Kehn
A publication by the Jean Monnet Policy Network “ValEUs”
No. 2 | 02 May 2025
Read the Full Issue (click on the image):
Executive Summary
With Giorgia Meloni’s Albania model, the asylum procedure is to be outsourced to a non-EU country for the first time. So far, all three attempts have failed because of the Italian judiciary. Now a judgement by the ECJ is pending. Three options open up for the Meloni government: to close the camp due to the rule of law deficiencies (option 1), to wait until the EU has ruled on the legal hurdles of an asylum procedure in Albania (option 2), or to revisit the measures to ensure the rule of law and human rights (option 3). The paper argues that option 3 should be preferred in the interest of the EU and its member states in order to get irregular migration flows under control and to strengthen the rule of law approach in migration policy.
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About the author:
Katrin Kehn completed her bachelor’s degree in “Public Management ‒ Higher Administrative Service” at the University of Public Administration in Ludwigsburg (Baden-Württemberg) in February 2019. Then she worked in administration at the education authority and afterwards at the veterinary and food monitoring office. Her ambition is to work across borders, for example in Brussels or Strasbourg. She is currently studying at the University of Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) to complete a master’s degree in European Studies.
About the Project
ValEUs brings together 20 universities from five continents, combining their strong expertise in EU studies across a wide range of academic disciplines. The Jean Monnet Network will foster joint research capacities, develop innovative teaching collaboration, and engage in societal policy debate to establish impactful policy recommendations. ValEUs is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Commission (2024-2026).
Imprint
ValEUs. Research & Education Network on Contestations to EU Foreign Policy
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Project number: 101127800
Email: contact@valeus.eu
Website: https://valeus.eu/
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