Sixteen men from Bangladesh and Egypt arrived at the Albanian port of Shengjin on Wednesday, nearly a year after an agreement to house asylum seekers in Italian-run centres in Albania until their cases are handled remotely by Italian judges.
However four of 16 were identified as "vulnerable" and were immediately sent back to Italy.
The remaining 12 on Saturday boarded an Italian coast guard vessel which will take them to Brindisi in southern Italy, Albanian port officials said.
READ ALSO: Italian judges reject detention of migrants taken to Albania
Earlier, they were escorted by police from a temporary reception centre to Shengjin port, where they boarded the ship, an AFP journalist saw.
Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed the controversial deal in November with her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama.
The five-year agreement, estimated to cost 160 million euros ($175 million) annually, calls for male asylum seekers intercepted by the Italian navy or coast guard vessels in international waters -— but within Italy's search and rescue area -— to be held in Albania.
From there, a determination will be made as to which individuals come from so-called "safe" countries, allowing for fast-track repatriation.
However, Italian judges on Friday ruled against the detention of the first migrants, saying a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice meant the men do not meet the criteria for detention in Albania and must instead be brought to Italy.
Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said Rome would appeal the court's decision.
Meloni responded to the ruling on X, saying "Italians have asked me to stop illegal immigration, and I will do everything possible to keep my word."
The operation consisting in sending migrants to Albania was bound to "flop", said centre-left opposition Democratic Party MEP Irene Tinagli.
"To think one can manage the influx of migrants by sending a few of them to Albania is ridiculous and useless," she said.
More than 55,000 people have arrived in Italy by crossing the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, compared to 140,000 in 2023 and 76,000 in 2022 over the same period, according to the interior ministry.
Rome recently expanded to 22 countries its list of "safe" countries of origin -- defined as states where it deems there is no persecution, torture or threat of indiscriminate violence.
But on the list are nations that include areas not considered safe.
A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice stipulates that EU member states can only designate whole countries as safe, not parts.
Human rights groups have also questioned whether there will be sufficient protection for asylum seekers in the centres in Albania.
Italy's deal with Albania has been widely criticised by human rights groups, who question whether Albania can provide adequate protection for asylum seekers.
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