El Independiente
IEAM’s Executive Director examines the limits of Italy’s model in Albania, Europe’s low return rates and the safeguards required for any mechanism involving transfers to third countries.
18 JUN 2026 · IEAM Team · 5 min read
Beatriz de León Cobo, Executive Director of the Instituto Español de Análisis Migratorio —IEAM—, contributed to an El Independiente report on European return policy and the possibility of other member states developing mechanisms inspired by Italy’s centres in Albania.
The debate comes as the European Union seeks to make return procedures more effective and explore new forms of cooperation with third countries.
From return decisions to implementation
A major challenge in European migration policy is the gap between the number of return decisions issued and those eventually implemented. Only a proportion of third-country nationals subject to a return decision are actually returned to their country of origin.
Factors include difficulties identifying individuals, a lack of effective cooperation with some countries of origin, and legal and diplomatic constraints on implementing returns.
Assessing Italy’s experience in Albania
The report examines Italy’s centres in Shengjin and Gjader, Albania, whose model has been modified following judicial decisions.
According to Beatriz de León Cobo, the Italian experience offers lessons that should be studied before attempting to replicate it across Europe. Establishing whether a measure is legally possible is not enough: its operational effectiveness, costs and concrete results must also be assessed.
Individual assessment of risks
Another central issue is the expansion of mechanisms involving third countries in European migration procedures. Designating a state as safe does not remove the obligation to assess each person’s individual circumstances.
Nationality, background, political profile, gender or other characteristics may create specific risks even in countries generally considered safe. Any transfer or return mechanism must preserve the safeguards established by European and international law.
Effectiveness with safeguards
For IEAM, the challenge is to avoid both a system unable to implement its own decisions and a model that pursues greater effectiveness by weakening individual safeguards.
Return policies require operational agreements with countries of origin, efficient administrative procedures and appropriate oversight mechanisms. At the same time, they must ensure that no one is sent to a place where they could face risks incompatible with Europe’s protection obligations.
The report was published by El Independiente on 18 June 2026 under the title Así son los centros para inmigrantes de Meloni en Albania que la UE quiere replicar en otros países.