Media: Italy to propose EU-funded migrant detention centres in Armenia

Italy is expected to propose the creation of temporary detention centres for undocumented migrants in several non-EU countries, including Armenia, during a meeting of the European Union's Justice and Home Affairs Council on August 4, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The proposal, which will reportedly be presented by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, is based on the so-called "Albanian model" and aims to establish facilities for the detention and repatriation of undocumented migrants from EU member states.

According to the report, the centres would be financed through European Union funds, with most expected to be located in Africa.

The preliminary list of potential host countries reportedly includes Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia, as well as Uzbekistan, Armenia and Montenegro.

The initiative comes after 22 EU member states sent a joint letter to the bloc's leadership calling for stronger protection of the EU's external borders and intensified efforts to combat illegal migration.

The proposal also follows a sharp increase in irregular migration pressure on the EU's southern border. On July 30, thousands of young Moroccans gathered near the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. According to Spain's Ministry of the Interior and local authorities, between 40,000 and 60,000 undocumented migrants entered Ceuta in a single day, prompting Spanish authorities to deploy additional police and military personnel to restore control of the border.

The reported Italian proposal is expected to be discussed by EU interior ministers during the August 4 council meeting. No official decision has yet been announced.

By Sabina Mammadli