Tirana Times, May 13, 2026 — The Albania–Italy migration agreement remains in force, despite a brief but politically sensitive controversy triggered by comments from Albanian Foreign Minister Ferit Hoxha on whether the protocol could continue beyond its initial five-year term.
The debate began after Hoxha, in an interview with Euractiv, was asked whether the agreement between Albania and Italy on the migrant centres in Gjadër and Shëngjin would be renewed after the first five years. The minister said he was “not sure” there would be an extension, arguing that Albania expects to be a member of the European Union by then and that the legal and political context would therefore be different.
According to the quote later published by Euractiv journalist Eddy Wax, Hoxha said: “I am telling you that after five years, once Albania joins, this is no longer extraterritorial. It is the territory of the European Union. First, it is for five years and I am not sure whether there will be an extension. Second, there will be no extension because we will be a member of the European Union.”
The remarks immediately generated attention in Albania, Italy and Brussels, because they seemed to place a clear political limit on one of Europe’s most closely watched experiments in offshore migration management. Some media reports interpreted the statement as a signal that Albania had decided not to renew the agreement beyond 2030.
Hoxha later clarified that his remarks had been misunderstood and taken out of context. He said his answer was not a government decision, but a reflection on the fact that Albania’s expected EU membership would change the legal nature of the arrangement. The minister stressed that his statement should not be interpreted as a change in Albania’s position on the protocol.
“The analysis of Foreign Minister Hoxha and his interpretation are interesting and well argued. If Albania becomes a member of the EU in the next five years, would an agreement signed between an EU member state and a non-EU country still make the same sense once the latter has joined the Union? In any case, Minister Hoxha’s statement cannot be interpreted as a government decision not to renew the agreement,” a senior expert at the Albanian Institute for International Studies said to Tirana Times.
Prime Minister Edi Rama also moved quickly to reaffirm the government’s position. In a public message, he said the agreement with Italy would remain in force for as long as Italy wished. Rama said the foreign minister had been quoted in a misleading way and underlined that Albania’s commitment to Italy had not changed.
The clarification was welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who shared Rama’s statement and thanked him. For Rome, the political reassurance was important, particularly at a time when the Italian government is reportedly preparing to return the centres in Albania to their original purpose: processing migrants intercepted at sea.
The controversy, however, did not end there. Euractiv journalist Eddy Wax responded by publishing what he described as the full quote from Hoxha, under the headline “Edi versus Eddy.” Rama then replied directly, saying it may be amusing to create such a story, but that there was no real conflict. He argued that the shortened version of the quote had been misleading enough to be used by anyone with a particular ideological interest.
“The full transcript makes it clear that the reduced quote was sufficiently disorienting for anyone with a certain ideological interest to use it as they wished,” Rama wrote in response. He added that the essence of the issue remained unchanged: “What Italy asks from Albania, Italy gets from Albania.”
The exchange shows that the dispute was less about the existence of the agreement itself and more about how Hoxha’s remarks should be interpreted. On substance, Tirana has reaffirmed that the protocol remains valid. On interpretation, however, the foreign minister’s argument remains significant, because it raises a legitimate question about what happens if Albania becomes an EU member during or after the current term of the agreement.
This is the core of the issue. The political value of the Albania model for Italy lies partly in its extraterritorial character. The centres are located outside Italian territory, while remaining under Italian responsibility. But if Albania joins the European Union, the legal and political logic of the arrangement would inevitably change, because the facilities would no longer be outside the EU’s territorial space in the same way.
For Albania, the agreement has consistently been presented as an act of solidarity toward Italy, one of the country’s closest allies and strongest supporters of its EU integration. Rama has repeatedly described the deal as exclusive to Italy, rooted in the two countries’ historical, political and human ties, rather than as a general model that Albania would offer to other European governments.
For Italy, the agreement remains an important part of Meloni’s migration policy. The centres in Gjadër and Shëngjin have faced legal and operational obstacles, and Italian courts have challenged aspects of the original plan. As a result, the Italian government has had to adjust the way the facilities are used. Reports in the Italian press suggest Rome is now seeking to restore the initial formula and make the centres again part of its broader strategy to manage migrants intercepted at sea.
The timing is important. The European Union’s new Migration and Asylum Pact is expected to reshape the legal and political framework for migration management. Italy appears to be positioning the Albania arrangement within this wider European debate, while Albania is trying to balance its loyalty to a close ally with its own strategic objective of EU membership.
For now, the political message from Tirana and Rome is clear: the agreement continues. The controversy has not produced a change in policy. Instead, it has highlighted the complex legal and diplomatic questions that may arise if Albania reaches its EU membership target by 2030.
The Albania–Italy migration deal therefore remains both a bilateral arrangement and a European test case. For Rome, it is a tool in the effort to control irregular migration. For Tirana, it is an expression of partnership with Italy, but also a delicate balancing act. Albania is willing to support a close ally, but its long-term future is not outside Europe’s borders. It is inside the European Union.
The post Albania–Italy Migration Deal Continues appeared first on Tirana Times.
